Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

• Prep15 min
• Cook50 min
• Total1 h 5 min
• Serves4

Ingredients

For the wings

• 1.1 kg chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes, tips removed (2 1/2 lb)
• 15 g aluminum-free baking powder (1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

For the blue cheese dressing

• 1 garlic clove
• 5 g fresh chives (about 10 stems)
• 100 g mayonnaise (1/2 cup)
• 100 g sour cream (1/2 cup)
• 60 g buttermilk (1/4 cup)
• 10 g fresh lemon juice (2 tsp)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 115 g crumbled blue cheese (1 cup)

For the buffalo sauce

• 60 g butter (4 tbsp)
• 120 g cayenne pepper hot sauce (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

To serve

• Celery sticks
• Carrot sticks

Instructions

1. Pat the wings very dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss them with the baking powder, salt and garlic powder. For extra crispy skin, spread them on a rack over a tray and refrigerate them uncovered 1 hour, or overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a baking sheet with foil, set an oven-safe rack on top, oil it lightly and arrange the wings on it skin side up in a single layer.
3. Bake 25 minutes, turn the wings and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until deep golden and crisp and 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part.
4. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place the garlic and chives in the mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 7. Scrape down the sides, add the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, salt, pepper and half of the blue cheese and mix 10 sec/speed 4.
5. Add the rest of the blue cheese and mix 5 sec/reverse/speed 2, so it stays chunky. Transfer to a bowl, refrigerate and rinse the mixing bowl.
6. For the sauce, place the butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder in the mixing bowl and heat 3 min/80°C (175°F)/speed 2, until the butter melts. Then blend 10 sec/speed 5 with the measuring cup in place, for a smooth, glossy sauce.
7. Put the hot wings in a large bowl, pour the sauce over them and toss until well coated. Serve right away with celery, carrot sticks and the blue cheese dressing.

Tips

• Use baking powder, not baking soda, and choose an aluminum-free one so the wings have no metallic taste.
• Milder wings: use 90 g (6 tbsp) of hot sauce and stir 1 tbsp of honey into the sauce. Hotter wings: add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper.
• Prefer them fried? Skip the baking powder and fry the wings in batches in oil at 180°C (360°F) in a heavy pot on the stove, 10 to 12 minutes, until crisp.
• The dressing keeps 5 days in the fridge and makes a great salad dressing too.