Canadians are big fans of the Super Bowl. According to Bell Media, owners of CTV, 18.2 million Canadians 鈥� more than half of us 鈥� watched some part of the NFL championship game last year. That鈥檚 a higher per-capita number than watched the game south of the border.
Curious, I polled friends and family on why they watch it. Some said it was because they鈥檙e true-blue football fans. Others said the game was not of much interest, but the star-studded halftime show was.
Most, though, said watching the game was a fine excuse to have bit of party on a winter Sunday, with refreshing drinks and a buffet of tasty food.
If you say 鈥渆h!鈥� to that and are wondering what food to serve for this year鈥檚 game, an always popular option is zesty chicken wings. Not a shocker, really, as they鈥檝e long been a sports-bar staple and rumour has it that they go great with beer.
Because Atlanta is in the Super Bowl, I thought one of today鈥檚 three wings recipes should have a southern twist, so I made hot fried and baked chicken wings.
Fried chicken is a classic southern dish, and serving it with spicy flavourings has become popular. In my recipe, that meant spiking the coating for the wings with cayenne pepper. If the wings still aren鈥檛 spicy enough for you once cooked, drizzle them to your heart鈥檚 content with a hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco.
Because the Patriots are the other team in the game, I thought my second recipe should have a New England-style twist. That region is well known for its maple syrup, apples are grown there and mustard is used to flavour dishes such as baked beans. Thus, I infused my second wing recipe with the sweet, tangy and spicy tastes of those ingredients.
For my last recipe, as a nod to the game being held in Houston, Texas, a state bordering Mexico, I decided it should be a Tex-Mex-style creation that featured the smoky taste of chipotle chili powder and other spices, including smoked paprika.
My fried and baked hot chicken wing recipe uses whole chicken wings, while the other two use chicken wingettes, the middle part of the wing, and drumettes, the meatier portion of the wing. Most supermarkets sell wings in all three forms.
Fried and Baked Hot Pepper Chicken Wings
Cayenne pepper puts the 鈥渉ot鈥� into the coating for these wings and it鈥檚 up to you how spicy they鈥檒l be. If you add 1 tsp of cayenne, the wings will be mildly spiced, and you can spice them up even more after cooking by drizzling them with hot pepper sauce. If you add 2 tsp of cayenne, they鈥檒l be quite spicy, and very spicy if further drizzled with hot pepper sauce.
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Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus marinating and setting time
Cooking time: About 35 minutes
Makes: 12 whole wings
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1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 to 2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1 cup buttermilk
12 whole chicken wings
鈥� vegetable oil for deep-frying
鈥� hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste, for drizzling
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Make coating by combining the first nine ingredients in a shallow bowl. Set mixture aside until needed.
Place the buttermilk in a bowl large enough to hold the wings. Set wings in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover, marinate and refrigerate wings one hour, turning occasionally.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove a wing from the buttermilk, let the excess drip away and then set in the flour mixture. Deeply dredge and evenly coat the wing in the flour mixture. Now set wing on the baking sheet. Coat the remaining wings in this manner, ensuring they do not touch when set on the baking sheet. Let wings sit 15 minutes to allow the flour mixture to set.
Heat the oil in your deep fryer until it reaches 350 F. Adjust the heat to maintain the temperature. Set a baking rack over a second parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully slip three to four wings into the oil.
Fry 90 seconds to two minutes, or until the chicken is very light golden in colour and the flour coating has set.
Remove chicken from the oil, let the excess drip away, and then set on the baking rack above the pan. Fry the remaining wings in this fashion, setting them on the baking rack as you go along. (The wings could be made to this point several hours before needed. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.)
Bake the wings in a preheated 375 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until richly golden and cooked through. Serve with the hot pepper sauce for drizzling.
Maple, Mustard and Apple Wings
These saucy, easy-to-make wings offer palate-pleasing sweet, tangy and spicy flavours.
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Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: About 32 minutes
Makes: 24 wings
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1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple juice
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cornstarch
12 chicken wingettes
12 chicken drumettes
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
鈥� salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Place first nine ingredients in a small pot and whisk to combine. Set over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, cook sauce 30 seconds to one minute, until just thickened, and then remove from the heat. Cover sauce and set it aside for now.
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Set wings on non-stick baking sheet and toss with the oil, salt and pepper. Now arrange wings in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Roast wings 15 minutes, then turn each one over. Roast wings 10 minutes more. Now turn the oven to broil and cook the wings three to five minutes more, until rich golden brown and cooked through.
When wings are cooked, return the sauce to a simmer. Set the wings in a bowl. Pour the sauce over the wings, toss to coat, arrange wings on a platter and serve.
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Smoky Tex-Mex-style Wings
Smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder, made from smoked jalape帽o peppers, give these oven-cooked wings a smoky, Tex-Mex-style barbecue taste.
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Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus marinating time
Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes
Makes: 24 wings
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2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground oregano
2 tsp finely grated lime zest
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
12 chicken wingettes
12 chicken drumettes
鈥� Salt to taste
鈥� Lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Combine first eight ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the wings. Add the wings and toss to coat. Cover, refrigerate and marinate wings at least two hours.
When ready to cook the wings, preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange wings in a single layer on the baking sheet. Brush wings with any marinade left in the bowl. Season wings with salt.
Roast wings 15 minutes, then turn each one over. Roast wings 10 to 15 minutes more, or until richly coloured and cooked through. Arrange wings on a platter, garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs and serve.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His latest is The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
