Hot Honey Wings

Hot Honey Wings

Hot Honey is all the rage. Makes perfect sense, sweet and spicy are wonderful together. Works for us, too. My brother-in-law has started participating in apiculture, raising bees. He generously gives us honey every year. And this weekend is the Super Bowl!! So, I made Hot Honey Wings. Do this. You will be happy. 

Read over the whole recipe before getting started. You can change up the flavor by adding in more pepper or even liquid hot sauce.

Servings:  Dozen wings
Hardware:  Kitchen scissors, 2 large plastic Ziploc bags, a plate, plastic wrap, measuring cups and spoons, a large heavy skillet with a lid (I use cast iron), thermometer, tongs, a baking sheet, a cooling rack (or paper towels), a sauce pot
Time: Prep-15 minutes, Rest time: 30 minutes, Cook-15 minutes
(Start cooking about 2 hours before you want to serve the wings)

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 dozen wings
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• Salt & pepper
• Enough oil for frying
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter
• 1 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1-½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1. Use the kitchen scissors to separate the flaps from the drumettes.  Also snip the points from the flaps. Liberally salt and pepper the wings. Sprinkle them with the Cayenne pepper.
   Mix the flour and cornstarch in a Ziploc bag.  Shake up.
2. Put the eggs and milk in the other Ziploc bag.  Shake like crazy.  Make sure the eggs are completely mixed.
3. Put the chicken into the flour.  Shake up. Then put the floured chicken into the egg mixture and shake.  Then back into the flour mixture.  You can repeat this process if you like more breading.
4. Put the chicken on the plate and cover in plastic wrap.  Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.  This will help the batter adhere to the chicken.  You can leave the chicken in the fridge for up to three hours. Remove the plate from the fridge about ½ hour before cooking to allow the chicken to warm up.  This will allow the wings to cook evenly.
5. Place the cooling rack over the baking sheet.  If you don’t have a cooling rack, just line the baking dish with paper towels.  Set aside.
6. Put enough oil in the pan to fill it about half way up.  Pre-heat the oil until it is 350°.  This step is very important to keep the chicken from absorbing too much oil and becoming greasy.  You will want to adjust the temperature while cooking so the oil stays between 300° to 400°.   
7. Place the wings in a single layer in the hot oil.  Do not crowd the chicken.  You may need to cook in batches. Cover the chicken and do not turn for at least 5 minutes.
8. Turn the chicken and cook until it is a crispy golden brown.  The drumettes take longer than the flaps.  To make sure your chicken is done, cut into the thickest part of a drumette, the juices that run out should be clear and the meat should be completely opaque and have no hint of pink.
9. As the chicken finishes, place it on the cooling rack to drain.  You can place the cooling rack in the oven on the lowest setting to keep the chicken warm.
10. While the wings are cooking melt the butter in the sauce pot. When the butter has melted, stir in the honey, red pepper flakes, and Cayenne pepper. Allow to come to a boil and then turn down to low and simmer until the sauce thickens. When all the wings are finished, pour the sauce over them. You can use the tongs to flip them and coat the other side. Serve warm.