FRIED BUFFALO WINGS WITH SPICY, SWEET, AND UMAMI SAUCE

Fried Buffalo Wings with Spicy, Sweet, and Umami Sauce image

The secret to creating great fried chicken at home is par-boiling the meat before frying. Believe it or not, this actually produces a incredibly crunchy piece of chicken while keeping the meat tender and juicy. Using wings gives you a ton of surface area for more crunch and more of the special sauce. The sauce in this recipe is a twist on the traditional Buffalo wing sauce with the addition of molasses and Worcestershire sauce for a slightly sweet and 'umami' flavor. Frying with lard adds flavor and extra crunch.

Provided by Cali_home_cook

Time 1h15m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

1 gallon water
salt
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
2 pounds chicken wings, cut apart at joints, wing tips discarded
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup masa harina flour (Mexican corn masa mix)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups canola oil for frying
2 cups lard for frying
½ cup butter
½ cup hot pepper sauce
⅓ cup molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Steps:

Pour the water into a large stock pot and stir in the salt, red pepper flakes, and chicken bouillon granules. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Cook the chicken wings to the boiling water until no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes.
Drain the wings and set aside to cool until easy to handle, about 15 minutes.
Whisk the flour, masa harina, paprika, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Press chicken wings into the seasoned flour until lightly coated; tap off excess flour.
Heat canola oil and lard in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Working in batches of about 6 wings at a time, deep-fry the wings until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Set the wings aside to drain on paper towels.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat, and whisk in the hot pepper sauce, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Remove sauce from the heat.
To serve, stir the wings into the sauce, working in batches, until coated. Transfer wings to a serving dish to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 518.8 calories, Carbohydrate 39.2 g, Cholesterol 79.6 mg, Fat 34.5 g, Fiber 3.2 g, Protein 15.7 g, SaturatedFat 14.5 g, Sodium 2230.5 mg, Sugar 12.2 g