These simple wings will fool even the most sophisticated wing connoisseur! They are grilled or roasted in the oven instead of fried. The trick is to allow the hot air to rotate around each wing so that they are crisp all over. If you make them on a grill this occurs naturally, if you make them in an oven, you must use a rack fitted into a sheet pan. The hot sauce marinade gives them the requisite vinegar-y heat

Grilled Hot Wings

Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat

2 6 oz. bottles Louisiana brand hot sauce or Trappey’s brand hot sauce*

4 pounds chicken wings and/or drummettes

Fine-grain sea salt

Olive oil, optional

Empty one bottle of hot sauce into one of two re-closeable plastic bags and repeat with the other bag. Divide chicken equally between the two bags. Seal bag. Turn chicken occasionally to make sure all surface areas are wet and covered with hot sauce. Marinate for 2 hours covered in the refrigerator or as long as overnight. When ready to cook, remove from bag and place wings in the center of the cooking grate over indirect heat. Discard marinade. Close the lid to the grill and let grill for 20-25 minutes or until beginning to brown. Turn over and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until the wings are crispy and completely cooked through. Remove from grill, place on a clean platter and sprinkle with sea salt. You may want to brush them lightly with olive oil to give them a glossy sheen, but this is optional as wings have enough natural fat in them to keep them moist.

Serve alone with cold beer or with the traditional sides of celery and blue cheese dip.

* Louisiana brand hot sauce, (much milder than Tabasco) is distributed nationally but if you can’t find it, use 1 small bottle of Tabasco, ½ cup white vinegar and 3 cups of water or more to taste.

Homemade Blue Cheese Dip

This blue cheese lover’s dip can be used as a dressing as well as a dip, and is the quintessential dip for wing lovers. Make this dip the day before you want to use it and let it sit overnight to let the garlic, shallots and blue cheese mellow and marry.

Makes 2 Cups

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

4 ounces quality blue cheese or more to taste, crumbled

1-2 tablespoons grated shallot, depending on the sharpness of the shallot

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, grated

Fine-grain sea salt

Freshly ground pepper Combine all the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a large bowl, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to let the flavors develop. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. You probably won’t need any salt as all of the ingredients are naturally salty. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Recipe Notes

If you find yourself in a place without a grill and want to make these, preheat your oven to 400˚F (if your oven runs hot, reduce the temperature to 375˚F) and place the wings on a sheet pan fitted with a rack. Roast the wings in the oven for 20-25 minutes, take them out and turn them over with a pair of tongs.  Place the pan back in the oven and continue cooking until golden brown and cooked through.  Sprinkle with salt and brush lightly with olive oil if desired.

ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2020