Are you a Frank’s® RedHot® lover? If so, you are not alone! People have been loving Frank’s® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce since 1920, when the first bottles of cayenne pepper sauce rolled out of the factory. Frank’s® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce made history when it was used at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, in 1964 to make the very first batch of Buffalo hot wings.
Now Frank’s® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce is more popular than ever, thanks in no small part to its special recipe, based on the one first made in 1918 by pepper farmer Adam Estilette and partner Jacob Frank, which emphasizes flavor and not just heat.
This cookbook will be your guide to going beyond using Frank’s® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce simply as a delicious topping. Wow your friends with Buffalo Chicken Pierogi (page 79), which feature dough filled with chunks of chicken and blue cheese flavored with Frank’s® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. Start your day with Eggs Benedict with Hot Hollandaise (page 12) and end it with Amazing Glazed Turkey Meatloaf (page 58) followed by Sugar and Spice (and Everything Nice) Peach Crumble (page 115). Make a winning spread for the big game with Atomic Wings (page 80), Ultimate Hot Baltimore Crab Dip (page 98), and Mexican Beer Wings with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce (page 75). Get ready to use hot sauce in ways you never thought possible.
Kitchen Staples
Half the battle of cooking is being prepared. If your pantry is well stocked, you should be able to make virtually any recipe in this book with little effort. Just add fresh ingredients!
Food Items
Of course, you need to be well stocked with:
• Frank’s® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
• Frank’s® RedHot® THICK Cayenne Pepper Sauce
• Frank’s® RedHot® Chile N’ Lime™ Sauce
• Frank’s® RedHot® Sweet Chili Sauce
• Frank’s® RedHot® Kickin’ BBQ™ Sauce
• Frank’s® RedHot® Buffalo Wings Sauce
• Frank’s® RedHot® Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce
• Frank’s® RedHot® Hot Ketchup Style Sauce™
All of Frank’s® RedHot® sauces are available in most supermarkets. If you are having difficulty locating a variety locally, try searching online. Many online stores carry the full range of Frank’s products.
The Thick of It
Don’t have Frank’s® RedHot® THICK Cayenne Pepper Sauce on hand? Try Frank’s® RedHot® Hot Ketchup Style Sauce™. It is a little tangier than Frank’s® RedHot® THICK but would do in a pinch.
Spices such as cayenne, chipotle, ground mustard, paprika, granulated garlic, dehydrated minced onion, cinnamon, and freshly ground pepper add a ton of flavor to many dishes.
Other flavor boosters include Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white vinegar.
Keep a variety of dried and canned beans, canned tomatoes, stocks, and tomato paste on hand to make soup, chilies, and stews in a hurry.
Instant flour, also known as quick mixing flour or gravy flour, is superfine all-purpose flour that is perfect for lightly coating food before frying or for thickening sauces. All-purpose flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and baking soda are all essential ingredients for baking. On the sweet side, an assortment of sugar, including light and dark brown sugar, demerara sugar, confectioner’s sugar, and granulated sugar is essential. Honey and agave nectar are also helpful to have on hand when a touch of sweetness is desired.
Ranch dressing is a classic accompaniment to hot wings. Luckily, it is easy to make your own dry mix and keep it on hand for when you need it.
1 cup dry (powdered) buttermilk
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon freeze-dried chives
3 teaspoons dillweed
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon dehydrated minced onion
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, stir all the ingredients together. When the ingredients are thoroughly combined, store in an airtight container. Will keep up to 1 year at room temperature.
TO MAKE THE DIP
In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend 3 tablespoons of dry mix with 2 cups of sour cream. Let stand 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend. Refrigerate any leftover dip in an airtight container. Will keep up to 4 days.
TO MAKE THE DRESSING
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1-1/2 tablespoons of the dry mix with 1/2 cup milk and 1/3 cup mayonnaise. Refrigerate any leftover dressing in an airtight container. Will keep up to 2 days.
If you are more of a blue cheese dressing person, that is easy to make too.
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup finely crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Refrigerate any leftover dressing in an airtight container. Will keep up to 3 days.
Tools and Equipment
Keeping your kitchen stocked with the proper tools and equipment is essential. I keep on hand a variety of wooden and metal spoons, silicone spatulas, measuring cups for both dry and liquid ingredients, measuring spoons, a pair of large tongs, a digital meat thermometer, a citrus reamer, a potato masher, silicone basting brushes, mixing bowls of various sizes, shallow bowls for dredging meat, a smooth-edge can opener, a plastic colander, a large nonstick skillet, a Dutch oven, a 2-1/2-quart saucepan, 12- and 14-inch cast iron skillets, a vegetable peeler, a pepper grinder, knives, and oven mitts.
You don’t have to use a lot of fancy appliances to create great food, but for some of the recipes in this book, a slow cooker, blender, mixer with a dough hook attachment, or food processor is quite useful.