Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Being from the buffalo area and frequenting the Anchor Bar and sucking on those wonderful wings I know this: the wings are deep fried and then upon cooking completion they are drowned in a sauce of red hot sauce and melted butter (ratio: 1- 12 oz. jar of Frank's Red Hot and 1/2 stick of BUTTER). The longer they soak, the better the flavor. The wings need to be completely cooked so that the skin is crackling crisp, this absorbs the sauce. Now on baking Buffalo wings, it can be done as deliciously and perfectly as the deep fried. The trick is never ever marinade the wings, never marinade any wings no matter the sauce. Bake them at a high degree until the skin is very crisp, usually between 45-60 minutes. Immediately scrap from the sheet pan (never a pan with high sides-it locks in moisture) and soak in a bowl with sauce. There are many tips for keeping the wings from sticking to the pan Pam, Sprayed parchment paper etc. I cook these wings for large crowds (50-200 people) They all agree that these are the very best Buffalo wings they have ever tasted. But then they have never had the Anchor Bar's Wings. The best trick-bake beyond golden brown, the skin then has the ability to absorb the sauce quickly.

Wings are most definitly white meat. I don't think there will ever be a boneless version that captures the flavor, texture of the bone in wings. The skin is a big factor. Deep frying is the only way to go. Just try any of the big pizza chain versions of wings to see what a mess baking them in an oven does. The result is a soggy, goopy mess. You can throw them in the oven or on the grill after deep frying and tossing them in sauce, to get the grilled on sauce result. They are very good and remain crispy on the outside, tender on the inside due to deep frying first. Buffalo Wild Wings have some of the smallest wings I've ever seen in a restaurant. I love the sauce variety at BW3's, but the puny wings are a dissapointment. The boneless variety is the best I've ever tried. Again, they can't compare to the bone in wings, but they are pretty good if you're not in the mood to pick apart a bunch of wings. I usually get the boneless wings at BW3's these days, because I only go there when jonesing for their sauce. Otherwise, I go to a couple locally owned spots that have the big bone in wings, done oh so nice, for a lower price.

Mmmm I did my own version http://pabulum.ext212.com/?p=716 SO good and easy! Thanks!

Cliff- I would suggest trying it with chicken thighs instead of breasts.

Great video and very adaptable. While I prefer my chicken wings crisp (I do them on the grill), the hint about cutting the bone and moving the meat back to allow for a handle is very unique. I can’t wait to try the recipe but I will use chicken breasts to get a little more meat in the dish and make it more "knife and fork" friendly (it seems to me to be more of a dish that you would sit down for and eat with a nice glass of wine rather than grabbing with your hands as you are chugging down a beer).

I like the wings at Hooters even though they're, gasp, battered. OK, be honest...have I lost all cred on this site? Did I have any to begin with...noooo...

i think a very important factor in wings is being ignored here, the skin. the fat, flavor, and texture of the skin is what makes wings so good. i agree with DM - boneless wings are basically mcnuggets, good but just not as good as the real thing.

That was very interesting. A little too frou-frou for my taste. My grandparents used to save chicken wings and alike for making soup. If I am going to Boulud I am not eating chicken wings. I want to eat wings with a beer and as an appetizer. Meg please tell me you cooked something else with him besides wings. I bet visiting with him was a great opportunity.

Though I guess we can go through the video for the recipe, would it be possible to post it as well?

@ instant coolguy: Hmm, I'm originally from Buffalo too, and when we make wings at home, my family uses the original Anchor Bar Buffalo wings recipe that was printed in the Buffalo Evening News in the seventies. That calls for (and I don't think I'm mis-remembering this, I will double-check when I get home) margarine and Tabasco sauce slathered on plain old wings, then they're baked and served with blue cheese and celery. I thought the frying was a more recent adaptation at places like Chili's and Applebee's.