Fast Recipes

Fried chicken wings with blue-cheese sauce

We use a three-step process for super-juicy wings: brine, marinade, then deep-fry. Irresistible, every time.

By Lisa Featherby
  • 20 mins preparation
  • 35 mins cooking plus chilling, brining, marinating
  • Serves 6 - 8
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Dilemma: it's hot out, but the allure of fried chicken is strong. The solution? Serve it cold. It's just as good, and a sure-fire way to please a crowd between dips. Begin two days ahead to brine and marinate the chicken.

Ingredients

  • 2 kg chicken wings, jointed, wing tips reserved for another use
  • 400 gm plain flour
  • 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
  • Hot sauce, to serve
Brine
  • 200 gm fine salt
  • 150 gm caster sugar
Buttermilk marinade
  • 600 ml buttermilk
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
Blue-cheese sauce
  • 100 gm blue cheese
  • 175 ml buttermilk
  • 90 gm mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped chives

Method

  • 1
    For brine, combine salt, sugar and 3 litres of water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to chill. Submerge chicken wings in liquid and refrigerate overnight to brine.
  • 2
    For buttermilk marinade, whisk ingredients together in a large bowl. Drain chicken, add to buttermilk and refrigerate overnight to marinate.
  • 3
    For blue-cheese sauce, process cheese, buttermilk and mayonnaise in a food processor until smooth. Season well with black pepper, then stir in chives. Refrigerate until needed.
  • 4
    Bring chicken and marinade to room temperature (1 hour). Combine flour, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and onion powder in a large bowl. Transfer two-thirds of flour mixture to a separate bowl (the flour will get clumpy as you add the chicken, and will need to be refreshed). Heat 6cm oil in a wide saucepan until it reaches 160°C on a thermometer. In batches, and topping up oil as needed, dust chicken in flour mixture (topping up as needed) until well coated, then fry, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through (12-16 minutes; be careful, hot oil will spit). Drain on paper towels and serve hot, or chilled, with hot sauce and blue-cheese sauce. Wings will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days.

Notes

Drink suggestion: Full-flavoured blanc de noir. Drink suggestion by Max Allen.

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  • undefined: Lisa Featherby