Game Day Chicken Wings

Here we are again, another game day (Let's Go Steelers!!!!!! and let's not forget the Skins Beat the Ravens!!!!!!!!!). We all get hungry when watching the game, so here is a good and tasty snack.

But first here is some history behind the recipe:

Chicken wings that have been baked or fried and coated with a signature spicy hot sauce and served with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks have become known all over the world as Buffalo Wings. They have nothing to do with a buffalo but have a lot to do with a restaurant in Buffalo, New York, called the Anchor Bar.

They are a tribute to American ingenuity. They use a part of the chicken that was often used for chicken soup or thrown away. They are a tribute also to the "serendipity" that is also a part of our heritage, in that the dish seems to have not been planned but just sort of happened, like lots of things we have in American culture. Although like most dishes there is some question over its true origin, this story is for the most part undisputed. Theresa Bellisimo seems to have stumbled upon this combination quite by accident.

Now for the tasty snack:

Original Anchor Bar Recipe

Here is the original recipe created by Ms. Teresa Bellissimo, owner of the Anchor Bar and Restaurant, in Buffalo, NY. It is taken from Totally Hot! The Ultimate Hot Pepper Cookbook.

• 4 to 5 Lbs Chicken wings
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt (if desired)
• 4 C Vegetable Oil
• 4 Tbs butter or margarine (1/2 stick)
• 5 Tbs Louisiana-brand hot sauce or Tabasco sauce
• 1 Tbs white wine vinegar

1. Chop off the tip of each chicken wing, and discard it. Chop the wing in half (cutting at the joint) to make 2 pieces. Grind on fresh black pepper and sprinkle with salt if desired.
2. Heat the oil over high heat in a deep skillet, Dutch oven, or deep-fatfryer until it starts to pop and sizzle (around 400 degrees F). Add half the chicken wings and cook until they're golden and crisp, stirring or shaking occasionally. When done, remove them to drain on paper towels and cook the remaining wings.
3. Melt the butter or margarine over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, add the hot sauce and the 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Stir well and remove from the flame immediately.
4. Place the chicken on a warm serving platter, pour the sauce on top, and serve.
   

Just remember when you serve these you are displaying the country's colors with red chicken, and the white and blue that the blue cheese dressing represents. (Perhaps here we should give credit to the French, for inventing Blue Cheese, and to the Spanish-Americans for the Tabasco sauce! Another great example of our multi-cultured country!)

This is a good hands-on meal and one that is truly satisfying. Enjoy these "Wings of the free" as you watch a ball game or share good conversation ...and give a toast to democracy and the American dream.

To order the sauce from the Anchor Bar go here
http://www.buffalowings.com/