Pequin Hot Wings

If feels like forever my friends and I have been on a quest for great wings.  The simple notion of the perfect wing is more complicated than most think. After one wing place recommendation after another I've become quite frustrated with the sub par product chefs try and pass of as edible.  I don't want to rant but the last place we went to, a national chain which a coworker said had "magical" wings, my good friend and eating buddy Dan said had a "barn yard" flavor.  So much for those magical wings.  It all comes down to these small but crucial details:  Wing and oil temperature, dryness of the wing and draining off oil after frying.   Don't forget the quality of the sauce.

Although the sauce from my last post was insanely good and I encourage anyone to make there own, you can find great store bought hot sauce.  The trick here is in the preparation of wings and the frying technique.  Quality ingredients is the most important thing.  Get fresh wings and trim them properly.  Cut the little tip that no body eats off then cut the flat from the drummet at the joint.  Wash the wings under cold water and pat them dry.  It is very important that they be super duper dry in order to get the right crispy texture when frying.   I believe that this is a major misstep in these bars around here.  Now put the wings on a rack or a trey lined with paper towels and transfer to the refrigerator.  Since most fridges have a very low relative humidity, they should dry the skin out perfectly.  Keep them int the fridge over night up to 24 hrs.  These little details will make all the difference in your final product.

Oil and meat temperature are probably the most important factors in a quality wing.  If the oil is not hot enough your gonna have a soggy, wing saturated in oil.  If it is too hot you will have a very crispy wing that will be gummy on the inside.  The wings should be room temperature or close to it before frying so that they cook evenly.  Ideally you want a wing that is crispy on the outside, moist and fall off the bone tender on the inside.

You don't need an expensive fryer.  I just use a deep stock pot filled 1/3 with veggie oil.  Bring the oil temperature up to 370, no more that 385 and fry away.  If your pot is not large enough just do them in batches.  If you crowd the pot it will lower the oil temp. and you'll have those nasty soggy wings.

The worst thing is getting wings that are properly fried but not drained.  Now you have crispy wings, good texture but sitting in a pool of veggie oil that will give you the runs for the rest of the day.  It takes just one extra step, lay paper towels on a flat surface, or a drying rack and transfer the wings straight from the oil to the towels.  NOW you can toss them in your hot sauce of choice and enjoy a football game like a man (or a woman).