One of the surest signs that a marriage is divinely ordained is when one partner likes the drummette portion of a chicken wing, while the other partner prefers the flatter, or as you and I call them, the "two-boned" part of the wing. Your father and I are blessed with such a marriage. It also helps if you both like the same amount of "heat" in your wings - again, your father and I are born soul-mates here. We prefer our wings on the milder side, leaving at least some sensation in our lips and mouths once we've finished eating.
Born and raised in Buffalo, we were introduced to the chicken wing in its purest form. A crispy wing, coated in hot sauce and topped with a dab of blue cheese dressing is, in our humble opinion, the only true way to enjoy these little delicacies.
Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find a restaurant or take-out place that meets our high standards. Barbequed wings? No. Honey-dipped, parmesean encrusted, sea-salt soaked and brined, battered and butterflied? No. Just the original, please - the way they used to serve them at the original Anchor Bar in Buffalo. Sadly, I've heard from trusted sources that even the Original Anchor Bar doesn't make 'em the way they used to. The only place we've found that meets our rigorous standards now is Duff's Famous Wings with locations in suburban Buffalo.
Trips to Buffalo for a bucket of wings are not always practical. I was forced to come up with a recipe that we could make at home that would satisfy our cravings. Since we don't have a restaurant quality deep fryer, and since deep fried chicken wings are so incredibly bad for you, I decided to bake them in the oven instead. Surprisingly, the wings come out just as crispy - and it's much easier to keep an eye on them, making sure that they don't get overdone and dried out or burnt. As for the sauce - two ingredients. Butter and Frank's hot sauce. No substitutions here, please. Real butter and Frank's hot sauce are the only way to go. I know you and your hubs like things a little hotter (wasn't that a tabasco sauce-fountain at your wedding reception?), so certainly adjust the amount of hot sauce accordingly.
buffalo style chicken wings
12 chicken wing portions
Kosher salt
pepper
3 Tblsp. butter
3 Tblsp. Frank's hot sauce*, or more to taste
Blue cheese dressing
Celery
Heat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. (the no-stick foil works wonders here - if you can't get it, you may want to spray the foil with cooking spray). Pat chicken wings dry and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45-50 minutes, turning once half-way through the cooking time.
For the sauce: Melt butter and stir in hot sauce.
Serve wings hot out of the oven with blue cheese dressing and celery.
*comfy's note: This amount of hot sauce yields a really tame sauce, If you like 'em hotter (which I know your atomic heat-seeking hubby does), feel free to add more.
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