Hot wings. They’re deliciously irresistible. Who wouldn’t want a bite? A good, spicy wing will have you craving more with every morsel. Since the day that hot wings were invented, we’ve craved more and more of them, but what makes them so good?
It’s capsaicin — a compound present in some foods, such as chili peppers — that makes your food spicy. It’s not a taste, though, it’s actually a sensation. Capsaicin tricks the brain into thinking that our tongue is being burned, and our brain releases endorphins to relieve the pain by blocking the nerve’s ability to transmit pain signals. Additionally, the neurotransmitter dopamine, responsible for our sense of pleasure and reward, is also released. This is what makes hot foods addictive. And a spicy hot wing paired with ranch dip is a really rewarding way to sate your cravings.
Yearning for some wings now? No need to rush to a sports bar. Here’s how you can make hot wings and ranch dip at home:
Hot wings recipe
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 3
INGREDIENTS:
Chicken marinade:
6 pieces chicken wings
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper powder
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tbsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper powder
Hot glaze:
6 tbsp. cold chicken stock
2 tbsp. honey
5 tbsp. sriracha sauce
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper powder
2 tsp. cornstarch
Ranch dip:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup room-temperature buttermilk
¼ cup sour cream
1 string of chives
2 cloves of garlic
¼ tsp. salt
Coating:
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step one: Marinate the chicken
Assemble all of your ingredients, making sure to measure, cut, peel, slice, grate, etc. before you start cooking.
Individually clean the chicken wings in running water to remove any salmonella they may be carrying. (Salmonella bacteria can cause food poisoning.)
Place each wing on a clean cutting board for poultry, then cut them in the joint, next to the drumette part.
Place all of the pieces in a large bowl.
Into the bowl of chicken, mix the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper powder, unsalted butter, salt, and black pepper.
Mix thoroughly. I like to use my hand to toss the chicken, so I can find any large clumps of butter and rub them onto the chicken and make sure all of the ingredients have covered the wings.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap. Put the bowl in the refrigerator for four hours — or overnight — to make sure that the chicken will absorb all of the flavors.
Step two: Prepare the hot glaze
While the chicken is marinating in the fridge, make the hot glaze.
In a small bowl, place the chicken stock, honey, sriracha sauce, cornstarch, salt, and pepper, and then mix it thoroughly. (You can use any hot sauce that you prefer, like habanero or chipotle, but I like sriracha for this recipe.)
Pour the glaze into a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue mixing until it boils and the sauce thickens. Let the sauce cool, and then cover with cling wrap. Set aside for a while.
Step three: Prepare the ranch dip
Mince the chives and the garlic separately on a clean veggie cutting board. Put the chives aside. To make a garlic paste, first, finely mince the garlic. Then, position your knife horizontally, and push it down over the chopped garlic, scraping it towards you. Do this multiple times until the garlic becomes translucent and pasty, then scrape all of it towards the center. Now, you have a garlic paste. Set it aside.
Combine your buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, minced chives, and garlic paste in a bowl. Pour in the mayonnaise and mix until all of ingredients are combined well. Add salt into the mixture.
Step four: Deep-fry the wings
Mix all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a small bowl. You may use potato starch if you want crispier wings.
Heat a pot with 1.5 liters of cooking oil to 320-degrees Fahrenheit. I prefer corn oil for frying, because it gives crispier texture than canola oil or palm oil.
Coat the chicken with the mixture of flour and cornstarch.
Deep-fry the wings 10–15 minutes until golden brown. Make sure that the chicken doesn’t touch the bottom of the pot, or it will burn. Transfer the cooked wings to a plate covered with a paper towel.
Step five: Pour the hot glaze over the chicken wings
Place the cooked chicken wings in a container with a cover and pour the hot glaze over the wings. Cover the container and shake it until the glaze coats all of the pieces.
Arrange the wings for serving with carrot and celery sticks and the ranch dip.
If this recipe is too hot for you, or you want spicier hot wings, you can adjust the cayenne pepper in the marinade recipe.
Originally published at https://www.jenreviews.com/how-to-make-hot-wings.
