Alton Brown's Buffalo Wings

One of my New Year's Cooking Resolutions was to cook something out of all the cooking magazines that I subscribe to within a month of receiving them in the mail; well wouldn't you know that within just days of making that resolution my first magazine appeared in the mailbox.  I have been getting Food Network Magazine for about a year now, and honestly, I haven't made much out of it; like with most resolutions I am bound and determined to stick to them especially since it is still only January!  I decided to try these chicken wings from Alton Brown that appeared in the magazine because unlike most wings they are baked and not fried, and while they were good, boy did this reaffirm my dislike for Alton Brown....why does he have to make things so complicated?  I have never been a fan of his show, I find him to be really annoying, but nevertheless, the recipe got good reviews so I figured I would give it a shot.  I had never made chicken wings from scratch before and I think it can be done much easier with the same results.  But if you feel like undertaking a project, give these a try.

Alton Brown's Buffalo Wings

from Food Network Magazine January/February 2010

12 whole chicken wings (I used a 4 lb. bag of already separated wing portions)

3 oz. (6 Tbsp.) unsalted butter

1 small clove garlic, minced (I omitted)

1/4 c. hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Style)

Kosher salt

Place a 6-quart saucepan, with a steamer basket and 1 inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

If using whole wings, remove the tips of the wings and discard.  Use kitchen shears or a knife to separate the wings at the joint.  Place the wings in the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam 10 minutes. (I had to do this in 2 batches.)  Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry.  Lay out the wings on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator to dry, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Remove the paper towels from the pan and replace with parchment paper.  Roast on the middle rack of the oven, about 20 minutes.  Turn the wings over and cook 20 to 30 more minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl with the garlic (if using).  Pour this along ith the hot sauce and 1/2 tsp. salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine.  Remove the wings from the oven, transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce.  Serve warm.