Crispy Fried Chicken Wings

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A couple of weeks ago, I had planned to grill a batch of wings at our outdoor Halloween Party, but time got away and frankly it was just to cold to walk away from our beautiful camp fire. That left me with a huge package of wings. Rather than freeze them I decided to make a party snack - crispy fried chicken wings.

These are plain, originally I was going to toss them in a sauce like most chicken wing recipes, but I had to try one and the crispy skin and succulent juicy meat told me otherwise. These are just mini pieces of fried chicken. When it comes to food, mini anything seems to be a hit.

This recipe is perfect for the big game and a few friends. Fried chicken isn’t the healthiest dish in the world, but a wing or two as part of a party spread could really hit the spot.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This time I got smart when I fried this chicken. I threw open the window and closed the door to my kitchen studio! That way my entire place didn’t stink of frying oil. I have done this in the past and literally had to wash clothes to get the oil smell off them.

The last time I did it, I remember getting in my car the next day and thinking "why does it smell liked fried chicken in here." That’s when I realized the coat I was wearing had been in my studio while I was frying. It smelt like I had splashed myself with fried chicken perfume. It took at least a week to get the oil smell out of the room.

This time ventilating worked - it got a little cold, with high temps in the 40s, but the smell didn’t linger at all after everything was cleaned up.

Lesson learned.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Party snack for 6 to 8;  45 minutes cooking;
4 to 24 hours marinating

4 lb Chicken wings
2 Qrts Buttermilk
2 C Flour
2 Tbs Baking powder
1 Tbs Smoked paprika
1 Tbs Onion powder
1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Pepper
2 Qrts  Oil for frying

Marinate Chicken
Place wings in a large bowl and submerge in buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and no more than 24. Drain buttermilk and rest wings at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Mix flour, seasonings, dredge chicken
Mix and sift flour, baking powder and all seasonings into a bowl. In batches, dredge chicken through flour, coating all over. Remove and shake off excess. Place on a rack over a baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken is coated.

Fry, drain chicken, serve
In a large fry pan filled half way with oil heated to 375° fry chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Let drain, rest at least 5 minutes before serving on a towel lined plate.

SERVING SUGGESTION
An assortment of sauces can be served with the wings for dipping, such as barbecue sauce, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing or teriyaki sauce.