Twice Fried Buffalo Wings

The Super Bowl is less than a week away, which means we need to start seriously thinking about football appetizers and game day snacks!

I've recently had a hankering for classic Buffalo Wings - the type of wings that are hot, spicy and buttery, with a crunchy skin and fall-off-the-bone meat. I don't think that's too much to ask for, but there was the task of having to find really good buffalo wings in the greater Boston area. So, one thing led to another and I decided I should just make them myself.

With the big game around the corner, this past weekend seemed as good a time as any to give homemade buffalo wings a whirl. I enlisted the help of my friend, Lauren, who also proposed that we make homemade pretzels and mustard (and oops, we also made a cheese dip, wow what a great day).

Turns out, the talented J. Kenji Lopez-Alt over at Serious Eats did quite a bit of buffalo wing research for us, so I used his post as guidance for what I assumed had to be a spectacular wing (considering they were twice fried!)

As for my method, it is essentially Kenji's, but generally at lower temperatures and with shorter cooking times on the second fry. I learned this weekend that I am very scared of big pots of a hot oil and Lauren had to coach me into just dropping the wings in for the second fry...hey, we all have our struggles!

So, how do we get perfect wings at home? First, we combine oil and lots of wings/drumettes into a big dutch oven. Over medium heat, we gradually bring the oil up to 225 degress farenheit, stirring the chicken occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and just beginning to have color on the outside.

After the initial fry, we remove the chicken from the oil to strain and rest it for at least an hour at room temperature. Next, more oil goes into the dutch oven and is heated to 375 degrees. Working in smaller batches, the wings are then deep fried until crispy, golden and ready to douse in sauce.

As for the sauce, it is nothing more than melted butter and Frank's Red Hot. Just before serving, the wings are tossed in the dip. Bleu cheese dressing is essential to have on hand for dipping, and some celery will calm your pallet between plate-fulls of wings. Jump to the recipe below for detailed instructions and tips on how to plan ahead for the Super Bowl Sunday!

Asian Style Chicken Wings

Is there anything that screams "Who's ready for some football?!" like a big helping of wings?!

Wings are such a great go-to game day appetizer, and these are even better because they cook up in the Crock Pot.

Who loves Crock Pots?! ME ME ME!!

Rather than giving you guys a recipe for traditional buffalo wings, I thought that an Asian twist would be a great way to shake up our appetizer spreads.

These Asian Style Chicken Wings are spicy and sweet, and the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender. There are quite a few ingredients here, but many of these will be right in your pantry or fridge. And this recipe can feed quite a few people, so this is perfect for anyone having a bunch of friends over for the Superbowl!

You know, I need to confess something here. I've never actually been to a Superbowl party. That's right, never. I was dragged to one or two here and there when I was a young child, totally uninterested in football and totally unable to enjoy a cold beer.

I bet Superbowl parties are fun...

Like most Crock Pot recipes, these wings mostly consist of throwing almost everything into the slow cooker and stirring in some additional flavor boosters right at the end. You can also amp up the flavor by searing the chicken in a large frying pan or roasting them in the oven until golden brown on the outside, if you have extra time on your hands!