6 recipes for wings ‘your’ way on Super Bowl Sunday.
Super Bowl parties are as much about the snack food spread as they are about the point spread. Dips are one essential component of the former (Ben Mims has recipe suggestions for guacamole and other homemade dips), and another key player on the snack table is wings, 1.42 billion of which will be consumed during this year’s game, as anticipated by the National Chicken Council. Unusually high demand coupled with labor shortages have impacted the chicken wing supply chain since the onset of the pandemic, but, unlike last year, “there will be no wing shortage,” assures NCC spokesperson Tom Super. Retail prices are up about 30 cents per pound from last year. Now that you know you can get them, here are a few recipes to guide you through making them.
Now seemingly omnipresent, Buffalo Chicken Wings With Blue Cheese Dressing were “invented” in 1964, when, as one story goes, Teressa Bellissimo of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y., dreamed them up from what she had on hand as a midnight snack for her hungry son (the bartender that night) and his friends. This recipe, an adaptation of that original (they don’t give away the full recipe for their secret sauce) relies on the old saloon staple, Frank’s RedHot sauce, augmented with vinegar and butter for extra tang and texture. Wings have since been reinvented in dozens of “flavors” by home cooks and professionals alike to meet the needs — and satisfy the whims — of the broad spectrum of wing fans.
Spicy chipotle chiles (smoke-dried jalapeños) are offset by the sweetness and tang of orange juice in the marinade of these Grilled Chipotle Wings. Cumin, garlic, onion and a touch of cayenne round out the flavor. Marinate the wings the night before so that, on game day, all you have to do is throw them on the grill.
Dredging Stout Beer and Mustard Wings in cornstarch allows for an extra-crispy (and gluten-free) exterior. The stout lends notes of molasses, coffee and roasted barley that are complemented by whole grain mustard, garlic and thyme. The bitterness of the reduced beer is offset with a little honey and malt vinegar, and grated Parmesan and soy sauce add umami to the glaze.
If you’re a fan of Korean fried chicken (a.k.a. KFC), Soy Garlic Chicken Wings from (now-closed) Hot n Sweet are for you. The light, crisp coating shatters when you bite into it and then melts in your mouth as a tempura batter does. It is much lighter than the coating on the double-fried KFC you find all over Koreatown.
Key limes are the secret to the tangy marinade of these Thai-Inspired Peanut Chicken Wings. They get finished in the oven with the peanut sauce, which cooks to a beautiful shellac. The sweet peanut sauce makes a striking contrast to the heat and acid from the marinade.
Ginger Soy Chicken Wings from the now-closed Beacon restaurant of Culver City are crispy, sticky and sweet, the glaze spiked with the distinct tang of ginger. They are so flavorful on their own that no dipping sauce is needed.
Like almost anything these days, wings may be a little more expensive than they once were, but you should have no trouble finding them in stores. Once cooked up in one of these recipes, they will quickly disappear at the hands of your appreciative Super Bowl companions.
Grilled Chipotle Wings
These wings are sweet and spicy, the chipotle chiles offset with the sweetness and tang of orange juice. Cumin, garlic, onion and a touch of cayenne round it all out.
Time 40 minutes
Yields Serves 6 to 8
Stout beer and mustard wings
Whole-grain mustard, garlic and thyme complement the robust flavors of the stout. Honey and malt vinegar offset the bitterness, and grated Parmesan and soy sauce add umami.
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 8 to 12
Soy garlic chicken wings from Hot n Sweet
A mix of cornstarch and flour in the batter allows for a tempura-like crispiness. The thin sauce has a hint of ginger and that distinct sweetness that comes from sake or mirin.
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 12
Thai-inspired peanut chicken wings
Sweet with just a hint of tang, these wings go perfectly with a bowl of peanut sauce.
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 8 to 10
Ginger soy chicken wings
The crunchy, deep-fried wings are glazed in a sticky-sweet soy reduction that gets its tang from fresh ginger. No dipping sauce necessary.
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 4 to 6 appetizer portions
Buffalo chicken wings with blue cheese dressing
Fried wings are slathered with a happily toxic combination of Frank’s RedHot sauce, vinegar and butter.
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 4
