Spicy Buffalo Wings with Creamy Blue Cheese Dip

Yield: serves 4 generously and 6 adequately; may be doubled

I hope you won’t just think of making these Buffalo wings to serve at “game time” since they also make the most wonderful entrée for a casual Sunday supper, at home. (Serve with a rice pilaf, sautéed vegetable and/or a green salad with a perky vinaigrette.) Although this recipe yields about 1½ cups of the seasoning mixture, good for 3 batches of wings, I still always double it. I find it so comforting to have dry mixes, like this one, always ready and waiting. I hope you love these wings as much as my family does! And, the blue cheese dip is a classic (and perfectly cooling) accompaniment, to the spicy wings. (Have lots of napkins since this is definitely finger-licking good stuff!)

Special Equipment:


• Heavy-bottomed 6 to 8-quart saucepan
• Deep-fry thermometer
• Large shallow baking sheet
• Large slotted utensil for draining the wings, while frying

For the wings:


• 1/3 cup onion powder
• 1/3 cup garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons each: sweet and hot paprika
• 3 tablespoons Lawry's seasoned salt
• 3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons pure ground chili powder
• 5 pounds large chicken wings, tips removed (and frozen for stock) and the wings cut in two, at their joint
• 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) butter
• 6 to 8 large cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup of your favorite hot sauce (or more, to taste!)
• 2 teaspoons of seasoning mixture
• Flavorless vegetable oil, as needed, to fry the wings

Ingredients for the blue cheese dressing:

Yield: 1 3/4 cups sauce


• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup minced yellow onion
• 6 to 8 ounces good quality crumbled blue cheese (about 1 scant cup)
• Optional accompaniment: crisp celery sticks

1) To assemble the spice mix: Use a whisk to mix the first five ingredients and store in a screw-top jar, at room temperature, until needed.

2) To season wings: Rinse and dry wings completely and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle ½ cup of the spice blend over the disjointed wings and, using your hands, rub the seasonings into them, flavoring them all. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate from 1 to 24 hours. Bring the wings close to room temperature before ready to cook.

3) Meanwhile, make the blue cheese dressing, if using: Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, and onions, in a bowl. Use a fork to break up some of the larger lumps of blue cheese, and then stir the cheese into the sauce. Season the mixture with pepper and fold the ingredients together well. Cover and chill, until 30 minutes before serving

4) To set up to fry the wings: Place a large wire cooling rack on your counter, close to the stove, and line it with a doubled layer of paper towels. Pour enough oil to come half way up the sides of a 6-quart, heavy bottomed pan. Attach a deep fry thermometer to the side of the pan so that the mercury tip is deeply submerged into the oil, without touching the bottom of the pan. Line a large, shallow baking sheet with aluminum foil (shiny side up) and place the pan in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F.

5) To make the sauce: Melt the butter over medium heat and, when hot, add the hot sauce and garlic. Let the mixture become hot and bubbling, then stir in the seasoning mixture and turn off the stove, for now.

6) To fry the wings: Once the oven has been preheating for 30 minutes, heat the oil over high heat, until the thermometer reaches 375°F. Lower ¼ of the seasoned wings into the hot oil and give them a good stir. Cook the wings for 6 minutes, over high heat. Remove the wings using a large slotted utensil and place on the paper towels. Shimmy them a bit, to remove any excess oil, and then pour the wings into a large bowl. Continue frying and draining the rest of the wings.

7) To roast the wings and serve: Pour the butter-garlic-hot sauce mixture over the wings and stir to coat them evenly. Pour the seasoned wings onto the very hot baking sheet and, after closing the door, set your timer for 12 minutes. Serve the roasted wings hot, piled on a warmed platter, accompanied by the blue cheese dip.

• The spice blend can be doubled and made 6 months ahead and stored in a screw-top jar on a cool, dark pantry shelf.
• The wings can be seasoned a day ahead and kept refrigerated, well covered. Take out of the refrigerator for an hour (two hours on a cool day), to take the chill off before frying.
• The butter/hot sauce mixture can be made a few hours ahead and kept at a comfortable room temperature.
• The blue cheese dip can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator, well covered.