PARTY ESSENTIALS: MY BEST BRINED CHICKEN WINGS

Party Essentials: My Best Brined Chicken Wings image

This is my most requested recipe for making chicken wings, and as we move towards the Superbowl, I have about 12 dozen of these to make... The secret is in the brine, and the finishing sauce... But we will talk more about that in the recipe. So, you ready... Let's get into the kitchen.

Provided by Andy Anderson !

Time 2h40m

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

PLAN/PURCHASE
12 - 24 chicken wings, separated
24 oz beer, like budweiser or coors (2 bottles)
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 Tbsp salt, kosher variety, plus extra for the flour
1 Tbsp plain vodka, optional
1/2 c flour, all purpose variety
pepper, freshly ground, to taste
wing sauce, more on this later
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
celery sticks
blue cheese, or ranch dressing, or more wing sauce

Steps:

1. PREP/PREPARE
2. Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
3. Add the beer, coconut sugar, and salt to a saucepan over medium heat, and whisk together.
4. Allow the mixture to come up to a simmer, and then continue simmering for five minutes.
5. Remove from the heat, and add the vodka, if using.
6. Chef's Note: The vodka is totally optional; however, it helps to mellow the sauce. Plus, if you drink enough of it... It helps to mellow you out.
7. Cover and place into the fridge, until completely cool, about 1 - 1.5 hours.
8. Add the wings to the brine, cover and return to the fridge for a minimum of one hour, or overnight.
9. Chef's Tip: Do this part the evening before the party... you will love the additional time they spend in the brine.
10. Remove from the brine, and discard the liquid.
11. Chef's Tip: DO NOT drink the beer brine. I know that it is tempting, because... Well, it is beer. So, suck it up buttercup, and throw it down the drain.
12. Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 400f (205c).
13. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and add a wire rack.
14. In a paper or plastic bag, add a bit of salt and pepper to the flour, add the wings and shake.
15. Chef's Note: You just want a dusting of flour... nothing more.
16. Add the dusted wings to the baking sheet, and place into the preheated oven until golden and crispy, 40 - 45 minutes.
17. Place in a large bowl and lightly, lightly toss with some wing sauce.
18. Chef's Tip: Do not drown the wings in sauce... just a light toss until they are coated. Then serve more sauce at the table.
19. Chef's Note: You can use any sauce you please; however, this is my sauce of choice: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/other-sauce-spread/sauce-essentials-the-best-chicken-wing-sauce.html?r=1
20. PLATE/PRESENT
21. Serve with some celery sticks, and some wing sauce, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing... or all three. Enjoy.
22. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.