BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

Hot or Cold, these buffalo chicken wings are such a great snack and they work brilliantly as a starter or part of a big BBQ platter too. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. If you are missing a couple of the herbs and spices, just leave them out. I like to brine my chicken wings to achieve a deeper flavour, but you can skip that process if you wish - they’ll still be delicious.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES: 4-6

1.5kg chicken wings

Vegetable oil for the trays

For the brine:

1 litre water

200g flaky sea salt

190g demerara sugar

1 tbsp black peppercorns

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 thyme sprig

For the rub:

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp ground coriander

1 tsp soft dark brown sugar

1.2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp table salt

2 ½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

For the glaze:

75g butter

75g cider vinegar

75ml Tabasco sauce

For the blue cheese dressing:

250g good strong blue cheese

200ml sour cream

100ml mayonnaise

Splash of milk to thin

Pinch of cayenne pepper

To serve:

6-8 celery sticks, cut into pieces

1 green chilli, finely sliced

Selection of pickles

METHOD

1: To make the brine, put all of the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to make sure the sugar and salt dissolve completely. Leave the brine to cool to room temperature and then chill in the fridge.

2: Once the brine is chilled, add the chicken wings. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably for longer. If you have time, brine them for 6-8 hours so they take on a stronger, more intense flavour. Remove the chicken wings from the brine, drain and pat dry using kitchen paper.

3: Pre-heat the oven to 160C / Fan 140C / Gas Mark 3.

4: To make the rub, mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken wings and toss each one thoroughly in the spices, making sure they are evenly coated.

5: Transfer the chicken wings to the baking tray(s) arranging them in a single layer. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until they are cooked through.

6: Turn the oven up to 200C / Fan 180c / Gas Mark 6 and bake the chicken wings for a further 10 minutes until they are golden brown and crisp.

7: When you turn the oven up, make the glaze. Combine the butter, cider vinegar and Tabasco in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then lower the heat and cook for 5-10 minutes or until it has thickened into a glossy glaze.

8: Meanwhile, for the blue cheese dressing, crumble the cheese into a bowl, add the sour cream and mayonnaise and mix together. Loosen with a splash of milk until you reach the desired consistency, then stir in the cayenne pepper. Taste and season with salt and pepper if required.

9: Remove the chicken wings from the oven and, while they’re still warm, pour over the spicy glaze. Use a spoon to coat and roll them in the glaze evenly. They should be nice and glossy.

10: Transfer the glazed wings to a serving board or platter and scatter with the sliced green chilli. Serve hot or cold with some crisp celery and pickles alongside.

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