NEW YORK, Jan 31 — On any given Super Bowl Sunday, chicken wing consumption goes through the roof. This year, the National Chicken Council projects that Americans will eat 1.35 billion wings for Super Bowl Lll in Minneapolis on February 4. That’s an all-time high, up 1.5 per cent, or a 20-million-wing increase from 2017. To equal 1.35 billion wings, someone with the time and the energy could feed 625 wings to every person in every seat of the 32 NFL stadiums across the country.
This new high is a surprise, because chicken wing sales took a hit late last year, according to Bloomberg. Tom Super, spokesperson for the National Chicken Council, says the decline is related to the peak price wings hit in the fall. “Wing prices were at their highest ever in September; they’ve come down since then. Chicken wing demand has proven more and more inelastic though; it just doesn’t change much with the price,” says Super. He also promises that, in spite of earlier reports of a cataclysmic scarcity, there will be no wing shortage this year.
The question, then, isn’t whether there will be chicken wings; it’s where you’ll get them. Two of New York’s top wing purveyors gave us their recipes to share with readers: From David Chang, founder of the Korean-accented Momofuku empire, comes well-glazed spicy and sweet wings. Bruce and Eric Bromberg, co-founders of the comfort food destination Blue Ribbon, supplied a Buffalo-style classic. What you’ll learn from these recipes is that wings are surprisingly simple to prepare and so much better when you do them yourself. Each recipe is made with fewer than 10 ingredients, and cooking requires little more than arranging the wings on a baking sheet and mixing sauce ingredients together; no deep fryers required. The result is phenomenal, whether you want a sticky, Asian-style wing or a more traditional, still spicy snack.
Chang who just opened Majordomo in Los Angeles, has offered wings on the menu at his iconic Noodle Bar in Manhattan in some form or other for more than a decade. The recipe below is based on a special, off-the-menu dish, made with the restaurant’s addictive Ssam sauce condiment (available at Momofuku restaurants and select Whole Foods; you can substitute Korean chilli sauce instead). “We kept this recipe super-simple since everyone wants to be focused on the game and not in the kitchen," says Chang.
Bruce Bromberg agrees: “Wings are the ultimate Game Day food, easy to make, so they’re great for the hosts.”
And if you can’t break the Super Bowl-ordering-food-in habit, both Momofuku and Blue Ribbon have Super Bowl packages for New Yorkers. The specialty in both? Wings.
Blue Ribbon’s hot sauce chicken wings with blue cheese
This recipe is adapted from the wings served at Blue Ribbon Brasserie, which are, in my opinion, among the best versions in New York. Blue Ribbon makes its own hot sauce, which it also sells at its Las Vegas locations; you can use your favourite to glaze the wings, but they’re best with a vinegar-based sauce such as Tabasco.
Serves 6-8
2 tbsp. fine kosher salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tsp thyme
16 chicken wings, cut into drumettes and wings (about 3 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup favourite hot sauce, preferably a vinegar based one
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 cup sour cream mixed with 1 cup crumbled blue cheese (or your favourite blue cheese dressing)
Carrot and celery sticks, for serving
In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper and thyme. Arrange the wings on a rack on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the seasoning. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix together the hot sauce, butter, and brown sugar.
Preheat a broiler or grill. Broil or grill the wings, turning once, for 15 minutes, until well-browned. Brush the wings with half of the hot sauce, coating both sides. Continue broiling or grilling until glazed and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes longer; turn once. Brush or toss the wings with additional hot sauce. Arrange the wings on a large plate and serve with the blue cheese dressing, carrots and celery and any remaining hot sauce.
Momofuku’s Ssam sauce wings
Ssam sauce — a mix of gochujang, miso, sake, soy sauce, and rice vinegar — adds additional tang and depth to the wings. If you use bottled gouchujang sauce instead of this blend, add a little more vinegar.
Serves 6-8
16 chicken wings, cut into drumettes and wings (about 3 1/2 pounds)
2 tbsp fine kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup Ssäm sauce or gochujang Korean chile sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Fried onions (optional)
White sesame seeds (optional)
In a large bowl, toss the wings with salt and cayenne until evenly coated. Arrange the wings in an even layer on a wire rack on a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered in the refrigerate overnight, at least 12 hours. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). In a large bowl, toss the wings in the peanut oil until evenly coated. Arrange wings on the rack on the baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until crisp and browned. If desired, finish the wings under a preheated broiler so they’re well browned. Meanwhile, mix the butter with the Ssam sauce and vinegar. Toss the wings in the sauce until coated. Transfer to a plate, garnish with fried onions and sesame seeds and serve with leftover sauce. — Bloomberg
