| Chicken Wings! A favorite at our house, I can "whip up" a batch in no time that always thrills my husband as a quick after work snack for when he arrives home starved each day. Each time I cut up a chicken I remove the wings at the shoulder joint and then cut off and set aside the wing tips for broth and separate the remaining two wing portions for the wings I will cook. So each chicken has 4 wings in the commercial food world. Anyways, I rub the wings with some salt and pepper and other seasonings are ok too. I often use the same organic herb and spice mix that I rub my cut up grill ready chickens for sale at the farmer's market with. I heat up a little oil in my cast iron skillet until it's very hot, around 350 to 375 degrees, letting it heat up while I carry out the next step. Any hotter is not really necessary since I'm not loading it up with larger chicken pieces. I really don't check the temp with the thermometer any more, I just flick a little flour or piece of bread in there and if it sizzles up it's ready. You only need enough oil to almost make half the depth of the chicken wings so you can see that much is not necessary. The fat will swell and bubble while cooking and you are going to turn the wings over to cook it on each side, we are not deep frying here. Also you can use oil, lard or suet, coconut oil, whatever fat you have or like, and I save that fat, strain it when it is still warm, refrigerate and use again. When using oil it is actually recommended that you add a little saved oil to new oil for frying chicken. I sprinkle a little corn starch into a shallow bowl and set one or two wings in there and sprinkle a little more corn starch on them. Then twirl each around a little to coat it ant set it on a rack until they are all coated and the oil is hot. I use tongs to put each one in the pan carefully, being wary of splattering oil. Cook the skin side down first until nice and brown, then turn it over and do the same. Remove from the pan and let cool a little on a rack. If you are so inclined you can mix butter and hot sauce in equal proportions to toss the wings in, or, a clove of minced garlic sauteed in a stick of butter is good. Incidentally this is exactly how I make fried chicken as well... the corn starch coating is gauranteed crispy. Brining first in salt water is a gaurantee of tenderness of the chicken, but not necessary for wings. |
| Cornell Chicken Barbecue Sauce/Finger Lakes Marinade Recipe This is the likely coating on chicken picked up at a fire department chicken BBQ. Developed by Dr. Robert C. Baker to help farmers sell more chicken! It's quick, easy and delicious. Use as a marinade and mopping sauce while cooking. Developed by the late Robert C. Baker, Professor of Poultry Science and Food Science. Recipe for Barbeque Sauce (enough for 10 halves): 1 cup cooking oil 1 pint cider vinegar 3 tablespoons salt 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 egg Beat the egg, then add the oil and beat again. Add other ingredients and stir. The recipe can be varied to suit individual tastes. Dr. Robert C. Baker, creator of chicken nuggets and Cornell Chicken Barbecue Sauce, passed away at age 84 on March 13, 2006. |