Hot Wings Of Fire Recipe
tossed in Salsa Diablo with chopped habaneros and ghost peppers. Served with blue cheese
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Ingredients
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Wings
Salsa Diablo (Hot Wing Sauce)
Finish & Garnish
Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
Method
Wings
- 1
Prep wings
Pat the wings thoroughly dry with paper towels. This helps them crisp. In a large bowl, toss wings with kosher salt, ground black pepper and baking powder until evenly coated. Let rest on a rack in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour (or at room temp for 15–20 minutes) to dry and chill slightly.
- 2
Cook wings
Heat oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven to 360°F (182°C) for deep-frying, or heat 1/4 inch oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high for shallow-frying. Fry wings in batches—do not overcrowd—until deep golden and crisp and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), about 8–12 minutes per batch for deep fry, or 12–16 minutes turning occasionally for shallow fry. Transfer cooked wings to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep in a warm oven (200°F / 95°C) while you make the sauce.
Salsa Diablo (Hot Wing Sauce)
- 3
- 4
Build sauce
Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the finely chopped habanero and the rehydrated/dried ghost pepper flakes and cook 1–2 minutes to bloom the heat. Add chipotle in adobo, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
- 5
Simmer and finish
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer 4–6 minutes to meld flavors. Remove from heat, whisk in the unsalted butter until melted and emulsified into the sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If you want more heat, increase the amount of chopped habanero or ghost pepper flakes carefully. For a smoother sauce, transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree briefly (be cautious when blending hot liquids).
Tossing & Serving
- 6
Toss wings in sauce
Place the warm cooked wings into a large mixing bowl. Pour the Salsa Diablo over the wings—start with about two-thirds of the sauce, toss vigorously to coat evenly, and reserve some sauce for serving. Toss until each wing is coated. Taste and add more sauce if desired (use caution: sauce is very spicy).
- 7
Plate and garnish
Arrange the sauced wings on a platter. Sprinkle chopped cilantro if using and serve with lime wedges. Offer the reserved Salsa Diablo for guests who want extra heat.
Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
- 8
Mix dip
In a small bowl combine blue cheese crumbles, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir until mostly smooth, leaving some blue cheese chunks for texture. If the dip is too thick, thin with 1 tablespoon milk at a time to desired consistency.
- 9
Chill and serve
Chill the blue cheese sauce for at least 10 minutes to let flavors marry (can be served immediately if needed). Serve chilled alongside the wings for cooling contrast.