It's all about the food....
At least it is around here - most of the time. I spent the majority of the weekend cooking. And playing... It's all good.
First up from a cooking perspective, I have FINALLY mastered chicken wings. If you have ever tried to make your own hot wings, or any other kind, you know that it is difficult to make a really really good wing.
My definition of really really good means that sucker is DONE. Doneitty, done , done, done... and crispy. Where there is no part of the wing that you *don't* want to eat. Anybody who has ever ordered wings (out of desperation or whatever) from a pizza place knows what I am talking about. I don't care how long they have been baked - I usually would end up baking them for an additional 45 minutes or more and I *still* wouldn't be happy.
Since my favorite place for wings is Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3's) and the nearest one is over an hour away and a pain in the butt to get to - I have been trying to figure out how to duplicate their methods.
The solution? A two part cooking process. First you bake the wings - then you "hard fry" them. And you know what?? They are perfect...
So, here we go - 5 pounds of frozen chicken wings straight out if the bag and coated with a bit of oil (to prevent sticking) and seasoned with salt and pepper....
Into a 350 degree oven they go, for about an hour and a half. I usually drain of the excess liquid about half way through.
Here they are after baking, all married up on one pan.
While they are baking, I am making my sauces - when you are ready to serve, it's time for a dip in the deep fryer (about 8 minutes) and then you can toss in the sauce of your choice and serve hot.
These were three of the four varieties I served this weekend. I am cooking a gig for around 125 in a couple of months, and wings definitely have made the menu. We thought we could narrow the sauces I would be using down to two - but between you and me?? They are all so good I think we will use all four.
On the left - Buffalo Style. The sauce I have found to be the best of the best is Ott's Wing Sauce. Here is a review. The only part of the review I would disagree with is his description of the level of heat - I think it's pretty dang hot. But then I am not a "chile head." YMMV.
In the center are Teriyaki Wings. I got the recipe for the sauce here - and me being me I couldn't *not* tweak it a little. So I added about two heaping tablespoons of minced garlic. Can I just say? It's fabulous. Sweet, salty, savory... Really really yummy.
On the right are the Sweet BBQ Wings. The sauce is one I use for my Hickory Ham Sandwiches and the kids especially loved loved loved them. They are VERY user friendly - even if you have to go through a bunch of napkins.
The one kind not pictured (because they were eaten before I could snap one) were the Garlic Wings. Oh.my.goodness. If you like Garlic - you will loooooove these. I saw this guy making what he called Scampi Butter on a TV Show and decided that it would be a great accompaniment for wings. Since he didn't provide a recipe - I just watched the guy and made my own...
Scampi Butter
2 sticks Butter
1 shallot finely minced
1 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs. white Wine
2 Tbs. Lemon juice
For the wings (8-10), I took 2-3 Tbs of regular butter and over Medium high heat flash fried a heaping Tablespoon of minced garlic. As soon as the wings come out of the fryer into a sauce tossing bowl add another heaping tablespoon or two of the scampi butter and finish with the flash fried garlic. It. is. amazing.
Later I was cooking for a deal at my Hubby's store. They were doing Product Inventory last night and I have found that people are happier if you feed them. Imagine that. And it doesn't have to be anything fancy - I prepped four trays of Ham and Turkey Sandwiches (like this one)...
Did a nice tray of condiments, pickles, tomatoes, onions, blah, blah, blah... Two Gooey Cakes, Three pans of Turtle Brownies, and the Mother of all Macaroni and Cheese...
Believe me when I say that sucker must have weighed fifty pounds. I should know because I was the one who schlepped it in and out of the oven. And to the store housed in my handy dandy Nesco Roaster. And you know that not a noodle came home...
By that fact alone I would say that the weekend was a culinary success. Oh an look - it's almost lunchtime! Time to get back in the game!
First up from a cooking perspective, I have FINALLY mastered chicken wings. If you have ever tried to make your own hot wings, or any other kind, you know that it is difficult to make a really really good wing.
My definition of really really good means that sucker is DONE. Doneitty, done , done, done... and crispy. Where there is no part of the wing that you *don't* want to eat. Anybody who has ever ordered wings (out of desperation or whatever) from a pizza place knows what I am talking about. I don't care how long they have been baked - I usually would end up baking them for an additional 45 minutes or more and I *still* wouldn't be happy.
Since my favorite place for wings is Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3's) and the nearest one is over an hour away and a pain in the butt to get to - I have been trying to figure out how to duplicate their methods.
The solution? A two part cooking process. First you bake the wings - then you "hard fry" them. And you know what?? They are perfect...
So, here we go - 5 pounds of frozen chicken wings straight out if the bag and coated with a bit of oil (to prevent sticking) and seasoned with salt and pepper....
Into a 350 degree oven they go, for about an hour and a half. I usually drain of the excess liquid about half way through.Here they are after baking, all married up on one pan.
While they are baking, I am making my sauces - when you are ready to serve, it's time for a dip in the deep fryer (about 8 minutes) and then you can toss in the sauce of your choice and serve hot.
These were three of the four varieties I served this weekend. I am cooking a gig for around 125 in a couple of months, and wings definitely have made the menu. We thought we could narrow the sauces I would be using down to two - but between you and me?? They are all so good I think we will use all four.
On the left - Buffalo Style. The sauce I have found to be the best of the best is Ott's Wing Sauce. Here is a review. The only part of the review I would disagree with is his description of the level of heat - I think it's pretty dang hot. But then I am not a "chile head." YMMV.In the center are Teriyaki Wings. I got the recipe for the sauce here - and me being me I couldn't *not* tweak it a little. So I added about two heaping tablespoons of minced garlic. Can I just say? It's fabulous. Sweet, salty, savory... Really really yummy.
On the right are the Sweet BBQ Wings. The sauce is one I use for my Hickory Ham Sandwiches and the kids especially loved loved loved them. They are VERY user friendly - even if you have to go through a bunch of napkins.
The one kind not pictured (because they were eaten before I could snap one) were the Garlic Wings. Oh.my.goodness. If you like Garlic - you will loooooove these. I saw this guy making what he called Scampi Butter on a TV Show and decided that it would be a great accompaniment for wings. Since he didn't provide a recipe - I just watched the guy and made my own...
Scampi Butter
2 sticks Butter
1 shallot finely minced
1 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs. white Wine
2 Tbs. Lemon juice
For the wings (8-10), I took 2-3 Tbs of regular butter and over Medium high heat flash fried a heaping Tablespoon of minced garlic. As soon as the wings come out of the fryer into a sauce tossing bowl add another heaping tablespoon or two of the scampi butter and finish with the flash fried garlic. It. is. amazing.
Later I was cooking for a deal at my Hubby's store. They were doing Product Inventory last night and I have found that people are happier if you feed them. Imagine that. And it doesn't have to be anything fancy - I prepped four trays of Ham and Turkey Sandwiches (like this one)...
Did a nice tray of condiments, pickles, tomatoes, onions, blah, blah, blah... Two Gooey Cakes, Three pans of Turtle Brownies, and the Mother of all Macaroni and Cheese...
Believe me when I say that sucker must have weighed fifty pounds. I should know because I was the one who schlepped it in and out of the oven. And to the store housed in my handy dandy Nesco Roaster. And you know that not a noodle came home...
By that fact alone I would say that the weekend was a culinary success. Oh an look - it's almost lunchtime! Time to get back in the game!
posted by Richmond | 10:15 AM
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