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How to make delicious chicken wings for Super Bowl

His first tip is to buy the best chicken wings you can find.

Anthony Head, executive chef at downtown Dayton s De Lish Caf , shares techniques that inspire his dishes at Dayton's De'Lish Cafe that you can try at home

Contributed photo Anthony Head, executive chef at downtown Dayton s De Lish Caf , shares techniques that inspire his dishes at Dayton's De'Lish Cafe that you can try at home

ENLARGE PHOTO

HANDOUT Anthony Head, executive chef at downtown Dayton s De Lish Caf , shares techniques that inspire his dishes at Dayton's De'Lish Cafe that you can try at home.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Duante Beddingfield, Contributing Writer 8:22 PM Friday, February 3, 2012

It’s Saturday. The Big Game is tomorrow. You’ve got people coming over, and they will be expecting food. Good food. You bought some chicken wings, a classic Super Bowl party staple, but maybe you’re not sure what to do with them, or maybe your wings have always lacked that special kicking flavor.

Anthony Head, executive chef at downtown Dayton’s De’Lish Cafe, has your back with his guide to the perfect wings — the same method he uses for the wings served every day at De’Lish.

A Dayton native, Chef Head helped to open restaurants around the area, including The Wine Loft, Fresco by Jenn DiSanto and Olive, an Urban Dive. The American Culinary Federation named him 2011’s Culinarian of the Year for the Miami Valley.

The perfect wings

“Frozen wings cook just like fresh wings,” Head said, “just with a little extra thought and time. But buy the best wings you can. You can’t make a super dish out of subpar ingredients.”

“You could make all kinds of ‘awesome sauce,’” he said, “but don’t be afraid to start with a pre-made brand and make it your own with select seasonings or the addition of fresh herbs. If making a sauce from scratch is more your nature, cheat a little and look at the ingredients list on the back of your favorite brand and build from there.”

“Remember less is more,” he advised. “The tongue only perceives five flavors: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami, or ‘savory.’”

Chef Head says that for making wings, to cover each of those flavor profiles, it’s important to keep your pantry stocked with basic staples for the dish:

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Onions (or onion powder)

• Garlic (or garlic powder)

• Cayenne

• Honey

• Mustard

• Hot sauce

• Brown sugar

• Butter (melted for prep)

“Feel free to char grill, saute, or roast any fresh veggies coated with dried herbs to bring out their alternative flavor profiles,” he said. “For example, fresh garlic when minced can become spicy, however, slightly sautéed or roasted, it becomes sweet.”

For frying oils, Head cites peanut oil as his favorite, but adds that heart-healthy canola oil also fits the bill. Coconut oil, while pricey, also works.

For the more adventurous cooks, he suggests a trip down the international aisle of your grocery store. “Thai garlic chili sauce; red, green, or yellow curries; teriyaki sauce ...these come to mind as good bets for unique flavor and experience,” he said. “Peanut butter, fruit-based sauce, or even jellies and jams are a great way to get the attention of the savory and sweet taste buds. Thin them out with a little chicken stock — why not? — or melted butter to make a flavorful dipping sauce.”

He does give a warning, however. “Pay attention to the sodium content. It’ll sneak up on you when combining premade products, whether sauces or seasonings, and can make your final product too salty. The better brands have less salt overall, and salt-free is always a safer bet, allowing you to add it later. This problem can be avoided altogether if you make it from scratch!”

Getting ready

When the time comes to make your wings, completely thaw them first if frozen to ensure even, quicker and better cooking.

“I like to thaw in a salt water brine,” Head said, “because it pulls the blood out of the wing, infuses it with a bit of flavor, and more importantly helps the wings retain moisture and cook faster. For food safety purposes, do this in advance in the refrigerator, covered. If short on time, you can do it up to two hours in advance on the countertop, but you must cook the chicken immediately afterward. And then throw out your marinade — do not use it for basting or adding to any sauces.”

Layer your flavors

“At De’Lish,” he said, “we like to get as much flavor into everything we cook, at every level. If you start with a salted or seasoned brine, you must ease up on salt in later applications. Want that flavor down to the bone? Season your brine water and use a dry rub instead of a marinade, which usually contains an acid of some kind that can make the meat tough.”

“For your dry rub, use a variety of seasonings on dried chicken skin. Taste it or smell it! Usually, if you can’t smell it, you won’t be able to taste it in the final product. Add seasonings to your dusting flour and enhance the seasonings of any sauces. Finally, add melted butter — the fat helps absorb the flavor.”

Wing time

Hot oil = crispy skin. Optimal range is 350 degree preheated. Take your time and cook in small batches. Let the temperature come back up (on most fryers, this is indicated by a light coming on once the set temperature has been reached). Keep the other wings warm in a 175 degree preheated oven, uncovered to preserve crispy skin.

Dried chicken = crispier skin. Before frying, either physically pat the chicken dry with paper towels or lightly coat it with a seasoned flour mixture to get that highly sought-after golden brown, crispy skin. “Sifted flour,” he adds, “with no chunks ensures an even coating. Use a fine mesh strainer every couple of batches to keep it chunk free.”

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