Trade Tips - Part 1 - Chicken Wings
So I go into work last Thursday and there are 4 large, waxed boxes the size of a big suitcase. Being of a curious nature, I removed the top of the first one and saw chicken legs and thighs (still joined). I said to head chef "what are you going to do with these"? He said Chicken wings. Odd, I thought as these are not wings, but legs and thighs. As it turned out there were two boxes of 'wings' and two boxes of 'legs and thighs'.
Wings are sold here, wholesale as a three joint wing. There is a small drumstick which would normally be attached to a breast, a piece with two bones and the very tip. I know for a fact that wings are sold in the UK for virtually nothing and that they are more expensive over here as wings are a popular snack. In Canadian supermarkets, chicken wings are more expensive to buy than chicken thighs, purely because of supply and demand. When you go to the pub you have a few pints, watch the hockey and have 10 wings. They come breaded or plain and with a sauce which can be mild, medium, hot, suicide, honey garlic or BBQ.
I think this tasty, wholesome snack should find its place in British cuisine. So with that in mind, this is how you turn 50 kilos of three joint wings into 550 pieces of delicious snack that will last a few weeks in the freezer for when you fancy a nibble and a can of fine English, Canadian or US beer.
OK, 50 kilos might be a bit much for the home, but the same principles apply.
Take a large knife and you need to joint the wings into three. The very tip is easy to cut, just cut through and discard, although you could freeze them down and use them for chicken stock. The second joint is muscle, joint and bone, but if you articulate the joint, look for the part where nothing moves (this is a trade tip, so don't tell anyone
, cut through this area with a knife. You don't need a cleaver or a chopper, the knife will glide though. you will end up with a small drumsticks and the flatter two bone wing.
Make a bowl, or a tray is better of plain flour and add a good amount of salt and ground black pepper (you need slightly more than you think). Rinse the
wings and let them drain and then toss them in the seasoned flour. Get out your Moulinex deep fat fryer and fry the wings until they become golden brown.
Drain them on a tray that is covered with a tea towel. Leave to cool. You can keep some out for later, keep some in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days and
freeze as many as you like. They keep for weeks frozen in a large Ziploc bag. I am told the 550 wings I made will last 2 weeks!
Now you need a sauce base. This one is as good as any;
'Always-a-Winner' BBQ Sauce
- 1/4 cup Finely Chopped Onion
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar,
- 1 tablespoon Worcester Sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
- 1 Clove Garlic, Finely Chopped
- 1 cup Heinz Tomato Ketchup
- 2 Lemons (Juiced)
- 1 teaspoon Prepared Mustard
Cook onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes. Will keep in the refrigerator for a week or so.
This is your medium sauce. It is hot enough that you know it has chilli in it. Now for the clever bit;
If someone orders mild - add tomato ketchup 50/50
If someone orders Hot - add a couple of shakes of hot sauce. We use 'Franks Hot Sauce' but Tabasco will do.
If some one orders 'Suicide' add hot sauce and chilli flakes.
If someone orders Honey Garlic, add tomato ketchup 50/50, sweated minced garlic and honey.
If someone orders 'BBQ' add tomato ketchup 50/50 a shake of 'liquid smoke'.
You just pour a little of the sauce into a flat bottomed stainless steel bowl, (imagine a large dogs bowl) and put it over a gentle heat. Drop 4 drumstick wings and 4 two-bone wings into the fryer or the oven until they sizzle. Drain for a minute and then toss in the warmed sauce. We serve with a couple of carrot sticks and a couple of celery sticks.
So that's it, a cheap and easy snack. It's all in the prep and can be served up in minutes. Final tip, buy the largest wings you can find.
Please try it and let me know how you get on.
Andrew Taylor
Chartreuse Restaurant
Kleinburg - Ontario
and also...
Message 9 - posted by random_kitty (U2216795) , 4 Hours Ago
The "original" recipe was devised by the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY, and requires deep-frying and then saucing. I've also put an easier, oven-baked version down, as well.
Original way:
Preheat a pint or two of vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer or large, deep saucepan to about 190C. Take 1- 1&1/2 kilos of chicken wings and trim the excess fat and tips off. With a sharp clever, halve them at the joint. THen in a large bowl or on a large plate, mix 2-3 oz of plain flour, a teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Toss the wings in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Working in batches, fry the wings until light golden brown & just cooked through, turning once - about 8-10 minutes total. Drain the cooked wings on kitchen paper. (Keep them warm in a low oven as you work)
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 3-4 Tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar and 2 Tablespoons of Tabasco or other hot sauce. Remove this from the heat.
Spread the cooked wings in a large, rimmed baking tray or place them in a large bowl and pour the sauce over, tossing to coat thoroughly. Serve with Ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Oven-baked method:
4oz runny honey
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon dry English mustard
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons Tabasco or other hot sauce
Mix the above together while preheating your oven to 180C. Joint and trim the chicken wings and toss in the sauce. Bake in a large rimmed baking tray (in a single layer) for 50-60 minutes. This amount of sauce is enough for about 12-15 whole wings (24-30 pieces total once jointed).
