Hairy Bikers Buffalo Wings

Hairy Bikers buffalo wings are the proper American bar snack, chicken wings fried until crisp then coated in a hot, buttery Frank’s sauce. A cool blue cheese sauce and celery come on the side, and this Chicken and Egg recipe feeds 4 in 50 minutes at 800 kcal.

Si and Dave call this an American classic and reckon “deep fried is the business,” so they fry the wings not once but twice. That double fry is the difference, because one fry leaves them soft or greasy, while two makes them, in their words, “beyond good.”

One step is worth planning the night before, since salting the wings and leaving them uncovered in the fridge dries the skin. Dry skin crisps up much better in hot oil, so this is what gives you that proper crunch.

Hairy Bikers Buffalo Wings Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Frying Cuisine:British American Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 30 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 50 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:800 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Split wings are fried in two stages until deeply crisp, then tossed in warm butter, garlic, and Frank’s hot sauce sharpened with cider vinegar. They are piled into a bowl and served with a blue cheese sauce of Saint Agur, buttermilk, and crème fraîche, plus celery for dipping.

Ingredients

For the Wings

• 1kg chicken wings, tips removed and split into drumettes and flats
• Sea salt
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Celery sticks

For the Hot Sauce

• 50g butter
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
• 120ml hot sauce (an American brand such as Frank’s is traditional)
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Blue Cheese Sauce

• 100g blue cheese (a creamy one such as Saint Agur is good)
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• 100ml buttermilk
• 150ml crème fraîche
• 1 tsp cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Prep the wings: If you have time, sprinkle the wings generously with salt, then lay them on a rack in the fridge overnight to dry the skin. An hour before cooking, bring them to room temperature and pat them dry.
2. Make the hot sauce: Melt the butter in a small pan and cook the garlic gently for a minute, then whisk in the hot sauce, cider vinegar, and sugar. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Make the blue cheese sauce: Mash the blue cheese with the onion, buttermilk, crème fraîche, and cider vinegar until combined.
4. First fry: Half fill a deep fryer or large saucepan with oil and heat to 160°C, then fry the wings in batches for about 10 minutes each before draining on kitchen paper.
5. Second fry: Raise the oil to 190°C, then return the wings in batches for 2 minutes more, until very crisp and deep golden, and drain again.
6. Sauce and serve: Pile the wings into a bowl and smother them in the hot sauce, then serve with the blue cheese sauce and celery sticks alongside.

FAQs

Can I bake these instead of deep-frying?

Yes, Si and Dave give an oven option in the book, so you can bake the salted wings at 200°C for about 45 minutes. Turn them regularly as they cook, then toss them in the hot sauce as usual. They will not be quite as crisp as the double-fried version, but they are still very good.

What hot sauce works best for buffalo wings?

The traditional choice is an American cayenne-based hot sauce, and Frank’s RedHot is the classic for buffalo. It is tangy and warm rather than fierce, which is why so much of it goes in. The butter melted through it is what turns plain hot sauce into a proper glossy buffalo sauce.

Can I make the wings or the dips ahead?

The wings are really a fresh-from-the-oil dish, since the crisp skin softens once it sits, so I would fry them just before serving. If you need wings that hold up better made ahead, their sticky chicken wings are the oven-baked answer. The two dips are more forgiving though, because you can make both a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge.

Do I have to make the blue cheese sauce?

It is traditional and worth it, since the cool, tangy dip is the perfect foil for the spicy wings. If blue cheese is not your thing though, a plain soured cream or ranch dip cools the heat just as well, and the celery helps too.

Are these a good party dish?

They are made for sharing, so pile them high with the celery and blue cheese dip, then add fries or coleslaw for a proper spread. If you want more spicy chicken, their piri piri chicken has the same fiery, sticky appeal, while chicken fajitas make another help-yourself plate. And for a bigger crowd, a pot of their chilli sits happily on the same table.