SERVES 6 TO 8
Frank’s RedHot Original Sauce is not terribly spicy. We like to combine it with a more potent hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to bring up the heat.
SAUCE |
|
4 |
tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter |
½ |
cup Frank’s RedHot Original Sauce (see note) |
2 |
tablespoons Tabasco or other hot sauce, plus more to taste (see note) |
1 |
tablespoon packed dark brown sugar |
2 |
teaspoons cider vinegar |
WINGS |
|
1–2 |
quarts peanut oil, for frying |
3 |
tablespoons cornstarch |
1 |
teaspoon table salt |
1 |
teaspoon ground black pepper |
1 |
teaspoon cayenne pepper |
18 |
chicken wings (about 3 pounds), wings separated into 2 parts at joint and wingtips removed (see photos) |
VEGETABLES AND DRESSING |
|
2 |
medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin sticks |
4 |
medium celery ribs, cut into thin sticks |
1 |
|
1. FOR THE SAUCE: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the hot sauces, brown sugar, and vinegar until combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. FOR THE WINGS: Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a large Dutch oven fitted with a clip-on candy thermometer, heat 2½ inches of oil over medium-high heat to 360 degrees. While the oil heats, combine the cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Dry the chicken with paper towels and place the pieces in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the wings and toss with a rubber spatula until evenly coated. Fry half of the chicken wings until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the fried chicken wings to the prepared baking sheet. Keep the first batch of chicken warm in the oven while frying the remaining wings.
3. TO SERVE: Pour the sauce mixture into a large bowl, add the chicken wings, and toss until the wings are uniformly coated. Serve immediately with the carrot and celery sticks and blue cheese dressing on the side.