Marinating the chicken in buttermilk is a classic technique. The acidity and enzymes of the dairy are what permeates into the meat, effectively tenderizing it to ensure a perfectly juicy and tasty wing.
Using a combination fry/bake method to prepare these wings makes for an extra crispy skin. It also cuts down on oil consumption – because all that excessive oil is not only greasy, it’s a pain to deal with after being used.
(makes 4-6 servings)
Ingredients:
– 4 pounds chicken wings
– 2 cups buttermilk
– 2 cups all purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
– 1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
– vegetable or canola oil for frying
1. Thoroughly coat the chicken wings with the buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. In another large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and thyme.
2. Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet or saucepan to 325F. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, drain off and discard any excess milk. Dredge the wings in the flour mixture.
4. Working in batches, cook the wings in the oil, turning once, until golden brown (about 3 minutes each side). Then transfer onto a baking sheet to finish cooking inside the oven at 350F until cooked through (about 15 minutes). Remove from oven, season with salt, and allow to cool a bit before serving.
5. Wasn’t that easy? Now go eat!
* Feel free to add other dried herbs to the flour mixture. Or, if you don’t have any, you can make a simple dredging mixture with one cup flour and one cup seasoned bread crumbs
* Waxed paper cartons are compostable. Just pour the used frying oil into the empty buttermilk container and place into the compost bin. Easy, huh?
I'm Not A Cook 