Tailgating With Chefhoo 2013: Duke

I have many food loves (and hates). I’ve used this column to share a lot of those loves and this week is no different. For the most part, I’m proud of the food I love and love to cook, but sometimes, I have a guilty pleasure that few people know about. I’m not kidding when I say this … I could literally eat boneless chicken wings every single day for every single meal.

It’s not too complicated to make boneless wings (or any other fried chicken), but it’s difficult to make it well. Often, the crust falls off or the chicken is overdone. The sauce might be too hot or non-existent. The best boneless wings are crunchy on the outside with a nice coating of sauce that isn’t too hot and the chicken is flavorful and juicy in the middle.

The following recipe contains two pretty well-kept secrets in professional kitchens. First, the best way to get breading to adhere to skinless foods is to use beaten egg whites, rather than whole eggs. For those of you who like to fry seafood (particularly oysters) this is a great trick! Second, using baking soda in the breading gives you a fluffy, crunchy exterior. The baking soda acts as a leavener as the chicken fries and keeps the crust light. Oh, and there’s a third trick … adding cornstarch to any breading makes it extra crunchy (ever wonder how General Tsao’s Chicken is still crunchy after swimming in that delicious sauce? Cornstarch.

Boneless Wings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (about 5-6 breasts)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup hot sauce (I like Texas Pete)
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 6 egg whites
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup corn starch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1.5 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter

Time To Cook

Combine buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, and the salt in a glass bowl. Chop the chicken into thumb-sized chunks … about 1.5 inches. Soak the chicken in the buttermilk mixture for one hour in the fridge. This acts as a brine and the buttermilk will tenderize the chicken as well.

In a Dutch oven or large cast iron skillet (if you don’t have either, use a very large, very heavy saute pan), heat the oil to 350 degrees (you will need a candy thermometer for this). Combine the flour, all but 2 tablespoons of the corn starch and the baking soda in a large casserole dish.

Combine the rest of hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, the chicken broth, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. If you like your sauce hotter, use less chicken broth and more hot sauce. Whisk in the butter and set aside in a warm place.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, lightly whip egg whites until just frothy. Take one handful of the chicken and toss it in the egg whites. Remove the chicken and toss in the flour mixture, making sure the chicken is completely covered in the flour mixture. Fry the chicken until golden brown … about 3-5 minutes, turning the chicken over about halfway through to brown the other side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels or newspaper. Make sure the oil returns to 350 degrees before frying another batch. Keep the chicken in a 200 degree oven as you fry the remaining chicken. Toss in the hot sauce mixture.

Serve with Blue Cheese Dressing and ice cold celery sticks.

Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound blue cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Time To Cook

Combine in a food processor to desired chunkiness.