Before I begin my soliloquy on the greatness of the chicken wing, I must be a little transparent. It’s Super Bowl week and all I can think about is how many types of wings I want to make for the Big Game. I’ve been planning my menu ever since we’ve all known that it will be the Cincinnati Bengals vs L.A. Rams on Sunday, February 13, 2022. My preparation has caused me to reflect on the chicken wing, and that’s where this ode was born. Read, enjoy and participate.
Chicken wings should be called “America’s Appetizer”. There is so much good in the chicken wing…where do I begin? It’s such a cute little piece of meat, and it just holds on to flavor like nobody’s business. As cute as this baby is, when you split the two parts, it gets even better. The drums vs flats debate is one for the ages. It never ends, although in my opinion there’s really nothing to argue about. FLATS are obviously the best.
Fried chicken wings speak a special language of love to you as you eat them. It’s true; wings dance on your taste buds, tickle your palate, make your hair stand up and give you a high five all at the same time. Seasoned well and baptised in hot oil is their road to salvation, and they gladly share with everyone. They are non-discriminatory and equal opportunity. They love us all, equally. To show just how amazing these little fellows are, they have a secondary road to salvation through the air fryer. Even more amazing, they can accomplish their goal by baking in the oven, chilling on the grill or hanging out in a smoker.
Now let’s talk about [some] the best ways to season these babies. The Buffalo Wing is always a winner. Served with bleu cheese or ranch, and veggies (eg: celery, carrots) it’s hard to find any fault in it. If you want a wing, but you’re not sure what type of wing you want, start with a buffalo wing. Other flavors that have made their mark in the wing world are Lemon-Pepper, Garlic Parmesan, Bar-B-Que and one of the newest to the pack, the Hot Honey Wing. Now that hot honey wing is a class all by herself. She’s well balanced with the sweet and the heat. The rich sweetness of the honey is complemented perfectly by the spicy kick in the hot sauce, but the hot sauce takes a back seat to the honey. So first you taste the sweet, and then the heat hits; the sauce can be deceiving. It will sometimes seem like there’s not much kick in the wing, but by the time you get to the 3rd or 4th wing, your mouth and lips will speak their minds.
Here are some of my favorite wing recipes. Try them; they will make your party even better!
I’d love to hear your feelings towards the mighty chicken wing. Share with me down in the comments. Let’s let the wing know how appreciative we all are!