BUFFALO WINGS
Serves 6
Chris Jones has a knack for taking familiar flavors apart and putting them back together in new and interesting ways. This course from him takes buffalo hot wings and elevates them to another level. Spicy, flavorful chicken wing confit sits atop a blue cheese and celery root puree. Glazed baby carrots and butter-poached celery are grown-up versions of the crunchy vegetables traditionally served with buffalo wings. Seared chicken breast is seasoned simply with salt, while zesty buffalo wing powder is steamed onto the back of an edible winged buffalo, providing the familiar spice of traditional hot wings. This course is at once familiar and novel, reminding the diner that food should always be fun.
CHICKEN WING CONFIT:
3000 grams (about 1 gallon) canola oil
20 grams chili paste
12 chicken wings
CELERY ROOT PUREE:
400 grams celery root, peeled and diced
400 grams whole milk
100 grams Billy Blue goat cheese (see Sources, here)
10 grams white wine vinegar
4 grams salt
BUTTER-POACHED CELERY:
200 grams celery
450 grams unsalted butter, diced
3 grams salt
GLAZED CARROTS:
18 baby carrots, with their tops still attached
100 grams water
20 grams unsalted butter
2 grams salt
BUFFALO WING PAPER:
15 grams cayenne pepper
15 grams buttermilk powder
10 grams onion powder
10 grams garlic powder
10 grams paprika
5 grams salt
5 grams vinegar powder (see Sources, here)
SEARED CHICKEN BREAST:
300 grams chicken breasts
Salt for seasoning
10 grams vegetable oil
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Edible paper for printing (see Sources, here)
Printer and ink for edible printing (see Sources, here)
Handheld steamer (optional)
CHICKEN WING CONFIT:
Put the oil and chili paste in a medium saucepot set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the wings and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 hour, until the wings are tender and falling off the bones. Transfer the wings to a plate, let cool slightly, and pick the wing meat from the bones. Discard the skin and bones and keep the picked meat warm in a small saucepot until ready to plate.
CELERY ROOT PUREE:
Put the celery root, milk, and blue cheese in a medium saucepot set over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until the celery root is tender. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the vinegar and salt, and puree for 1 minute, until smooth. Transfer the puree to a small saucepot and keep warm until ready to plate.
BUTTER-POACHED CELERY:
Peel the celery and slice it into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Melt the butter in a medium saucepot set over medium heat. Add the salt, stir to blend, and then add the celery. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes, until the celery is very tender. Strain out the celery and reserve the butter. Keep the celery warm in a small saucepot until ready to serve.
GLAZED CARROTS:
Scrub the carrots with a clean kitchen brush. Put the water in a medium sauté pan set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the butter, and stir to melt and emulsify it into the water. Add the carrots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to glaze them with the butter sauce. Season with salt and keep warm until ready to serve.
BUFFALO WING PAPER:
Use edible ink to print 6 pictures of small winged buffalo on a piece of edible paper.
Put the cayenne pepper, buttermilk powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and vinegar powder in a spice grinder and grind them to combine. Lay the printed paper face down on a sheet of parchment. Steam the paper with a handheld steamer or brush the back of the paper lightly with boiling water to soften the top layer and make it sticky. Use a small strainer to dust the buffalo wing seasoning onto the back of the paper. Put another sheet of parchment on top of the seasoned paper and set a cutting board on top of the parchment to press the paper. Once the paper is dry, 20 to 30 minutes, use a paper cutter to cut out the pictures into individual bites. Reserve in an airtight container until ready to serve.
SEARED CHICKEN BREAST:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Season the chicken with salt. Put the canola oil in a cast-iron pan set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Without flipping the chicken, transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest, skin side up on a warm plate, for 10 minutes. Slice off the ends and then slice 6 center-cut pieces from the breast just before serving.
TO FINISH:
Put 10 grams of Celery Root Puree on each plate. Put the tip of a spoon in the center of the puree and drag it across the plate in a line to make a swoosh. Add 40 grams of Chicken Wing Confit to the center of the plate. Top with 10 grams of the Butter-Poached Celery. Add 3 Glazed Carrots. Lay 1 slice of Seared Chicken Breast on top and use an alligator clip or guest check holder to display the Buffalo Wing Paper beside it. Repeat with the remaining plates and serve immediately.
