All American Spicy Buffalo Wings with a sour cream dip

Merely described as a Super Bowl Snack or rather a party snack, Buffalo Wings are a favourite of ours. Hooters in Nottingham was a favourite of mine, and Ro's (for obvious other reasons ..ahem!) and their buffalo wings were super hot and we'd be soaking in sweat by the time we finished a plate of wings. Sadly London doesn't have a Hooters outlet and so we have to make do with the usual chains which are ok, but not the best.

I was so sure i wouldn't get the authentic Franks Red Hot sauce in any of the grocery stores, and no where could i find the sauce recipe. I almost gave up and then decided to throw in a search on the Sainsburys website and what do i find, the original sauce itself. Didn't waste any time and ran to the nearest Sains and got em, along with the wings and a few tid bits. Sunday lunch was heavenly and i have decided, the next time i throw a party, this is definitely on my list. Other than the frying bit, i think everything else is damn easy..and the taste..oh so yumm. I kept the recipe printed at the back of the bottle as the base, and played around with the measurements a bit to adjust spice levels etc.

Ok so I'm gonna let you in on a little secret..i was completely grossed out by the chicken wings at the super market and surprisingly, so was Ro who usually does the dirty work of cutting and cleaning meat etc. Chicken drumsticks on its own were too big and so we decided to use the ready-to-eat buffalo wings which were supposedly spicy and cooked, but we knew from previous experiences that these ready made meals were tasteless and horrible and had to be jazzed up a bit. So we bought 2 packs of those and decided to work on it. The result was spectacular. I shall however, give you the recipe of the original and maybe some day il try it out.

Chicken wings- 1 kg

Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Paprika- 1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

All purpose flour- about a cup

Oil-to deep fry

Franks Red Hot Extra Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce- 1/4 cup + a little more

Butter- 3 tbsp

White vinegar- 1 tsp (optional)

Discard the tips of the chicken wings. Cut them at the joint.. into the wing and the drum.

Mix together the pepper powder, paprika, salt and flour in a large bowl. Toss the chicken pieces in it till they are evenly coated.

Now you can either oven cook it for about an hour at 230C, flipping the chicken on and off or deep fry them in oil in batches of 10 or so (depending on your vessel) until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

While the chicken is frying, in a sauce pan, melt the butter and add the hot sauce and vinegar. On low flame bring it to a simmer. Now i like mine well coated, so i waited till it was a bit thick. This could take some time.

Put the fried/ baked chicken wings in a large bowl and pour the hot sauce over. Toss it well, so that the pieces are evenly coated. Now if you keep them for a day, i realised it becomes more spicier and tastes a whole lot better. Since we were incredibly hungry, we greedily ate them then and there with the cream dip.

I followed the recipe from the hot sauce bit, since my chicken wings were already cooked.

Notes: Chicken breasts can be used instead of wings.

It is not required to follow the first step for the chicken. You can just fry it as it is or bake it..without any seasoning because the sauce is powerful enough.

Vinegar is optional, i just wanted to add a tang to it.

if you don't want the chicken wings to be coated in sauce, you don't have to simmer it for long. It can be loose gravy.

Celery sticks are also an accompaniment to buffalo wings and dip.

Sour cream dip

The buffalo wings are usually paired with a blue cheese dip, but i don't really like blue cheese and so i made my own sour cream dip which was fantabulous (I'm so humble, right?)

Sour cream- 3 tbsp

Mayonnaise- 1 tbsp

Cheddar cheese- a handful (i used the Mexican mix)

Spring onions- a handful (just the greens)

Mix all this, except the spring greens, in a bowl and microwave for a few seconds, just to get the cheese melted. Mix in the greens just before you serve.

Here are two of my favourite party snacks which you might enjoy. Jalapeños stuffed and wrapped in bacon and Jalapeño Poppers.

I am sending this recipe to the Valentine & Super Bowl Recipe Carnival event hosted by fun and food cafe.