Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

• 1.5kg chicken wings, separated into drumettes and flats
• 2 tbsp baking powder (NOT baking soda)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder

For the buffalo sauce:

• 100ml Frank’s RedHot sauce
• 80g butter, melted
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder

For the blue cheese dip:

• 150g sour cream
• 100g mayonnaise
• 100g blue cheese (Stilton or Danish Blue), crumbled
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• Salt and pepper

To serve:

• Celery sticks
• Carrot sticks
• Extra blue cheese dip

Method

1. Pat wings very dry with kitchen paper. Wet wings = no crust. Let them sit uncovered on a tray in the fridge for 1-2 hours if you have time.
2. Toss wings with baking powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder. The baking powder raises the skin’s pH, helping it blister and crisp in the oven.
3. Heat oven to 250°C (or as high as it goes). Line a tray with foil and a wire rack on top. Spray rack with oil.
4. Arrange wings in a single layer on the rack, skin-side up.
5. Bake 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden and crispy.
6. Make the sauce by whisking melted butter, hot sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire and garlic powder together.
7. Make the dip by folding all dip ingredients together. Crumble blue cheese roughly — you want chunks. Refrigerate.
8. Toss hot wings in the buffalo sauce in a large bowl until fully coated.
9. Serve immediately with the dip and celery sticks on the side.

Tips

• Baking powder, not baking soda — they’re different. Baking soda will make them taste metallic and weird.
• Dry the wings thoroughly — wet skin steams instead of crisps. Time in the fridge uncovered is the best prep.
• High heat is crucial — 250°C or above. Lower temps give you flabby wings.
• Toss just before serving — sauce-soaked wings lose their crisp. Have everything else ready, then toss and serve.
• Blue cheese dip keeps 5 days — make it ahead and let the flavours develop.