The Bills may not have made it to the Super Bowl but their contribution to football goes beyond the game.

It was in Buffalo, New York that fried wings were combined with hot sauce and butter to redefine how people would consume poultry and watch sporting events forever.

As the legend goes, the Buffalo wing was conceived at the Anchor Bar. According to the National Chicken Council (yes that’s a thing), “the concept of cooking wings in peppery hot sauce was born in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, when co-owner Teressa Bellissimo cooked leftover wings in hot sauce as a late-night snack for her son and his friends.” They quickly became part of the Buffalo bar food scene.

It should be noted that there are a lot of recipes which bake the wing. But to be considered a TRUE authentic Buffalo wing, it needs to be fried naked and tossed in buttery hot sauce. They shouldn’t be battered or breaded.

Some of you might be tempted to bake the wing because of how easy, clean, and healthy they will turn out. Don’t. Frying is just as easy and baking almost never generates as crispy a result. If you use a deep enough pot or pan, it will minimize the mess from the oils. If you’re thinking about being healthy on Super Bowl Sunday, might as well just eat carrots and celery. I mean, what’s the point?

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s break down how to make the perfect Buffalo hot wing.

This recipe is perfect as a main dish for two or as an appetizer for a group of six. Feel free to increase the ingredient proportions for bigger batches

Prep: 10 mins Cook: 30 mins

Ingredients

· 12 chicken wings

· One quart oil (canola or vegetable work best)

· Two tablespoons Frank’s hot sauce (for an authentic Buffalo wing, it needs to be Frank’s)

· Two tablespoons melted butter

· 1/2 teaspoon distilled vinegar

· 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)

· Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

· For Serving: blue cheese dressing and celery

Directions

1. Heat oil in deep frying pan or large pot to 375 degrees F. You want to be able to coat the whole wing but can be shallow.

2. Remove tips and separate each wing at the joint (I normally buy a frozen bag of chicken wings and skip this step).

3. Season with pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Depending on the size of your equipment, place half of the wings in the pot or pan. Let fry for 13 to 14 minutes. If the wings are floating, they’re done. The wings should be a golden blistering brown and crisp. Remove wings, set aside and let excess oil drain.

5. Add remaining wings and repeat frying process.

6. Salt wings to taste (optional).

7. Place wings in a large mixing bowl.

8. Melt butter in a saucepan. Mix in hot sauce and vinegar. Whisk one minute.

9. Pour sauce over the cooked wings. Toss until wings are coated with sauce.

No Super Bowl party is complete without Buffalo wings. A Super Bowl without Buffalo wings is like baseball without Cracker Jacks, like movies without popcorn, like Tom Brady without the Patriots – oh wait, that last one ended up working out… Too soon? Well, you get the idea.