Nashville Hot Chicken Wings – Spicy and Crispy

Step-by-step recipe

1. The exact sauce and marinade ingredients and the cooking method are usually a closely guarded secret of each cook and restaurant, so there is no single, definitive recipe. Nashville hot wings are largely a matter of imagination and taste, if you like. Buy chicken wings: stores often sell packs prepared for dishes like this, without the tips, or even just the drumettes, which have plenty of meat.
   
2. Marinating the wings Nashville-style
3. The marinade for Nashville wings is a little unusual, but it turned out to be a very good one, and not only for chicken. It works for almost any meat that will be breaded and fried. Mix 1 cup of buttermilk or kefir, which is always easy to find in stores. Choose the thickest one you can, so it doesn't run off the meat too much. Add the brine from a jar of pickles, one egg and a quarter cup of Louisiana-style hot sauce.
   
4. Whisk the marinade: it should be about as thick as thin sour cream. Wash the chicken wings and remove any leftover feathers, excess fat and anything else you don't need. If your wings still have the tips, cut them off – there is almost nothing to eat there, and they only get in the way when frying. Put the wings in a container with a lid or a pot and pour over the marinade. The chicken should be completely covered. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, preferably longer.
   
5. How to fry Nashville hot chicken wings
6. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of flour with 1 tsp of fine salt. Take the wings out of the marinade and pat them dry with paper towels. Coat them in the flour and salt mixture, then dip them in the marinade again and immediately coat them in flour once more – a double breading. Lay the breaded wings on a paper towel so the coating can dry a little.
   
7. You can cook the breaded wings in the oven, but I prefer frying them in oil. Any neutral vegetable oil or frying blend will do. You need plenty of oil: the wings should be half submerged while frying. Keep in mind that the breading absorbs a lot of fat. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the breaded wings.
   
8. Fry over medium-low heat so the chicken cooks through without the breading burning. Turn the wings carefully so they brown evenly. Don't use a fork or a spatula: if you drop a wing, the oil will splatter. Small tongs let you get a good grip. Fry until deeply browned: the breading should be dark golden and the meat cooked through. Transfer the finished wings to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up excess fat.
   
9. Making the Nashville hot glaze
10. While the wings are frying, make the glaze. It's easy, and all the spices are easy to find. The main ingredients are chili flakes (often with the seeds), brown or muscovado sugar (muscovado works best), sweet paprika and dried granulated garlic, plus a little salt and ground black pepper. Mix all the dry spices in advance so you can add them to the glaze in one go.
    
11. The base of the sauce is equal amounts of real butter and lard. The butter needs no explanation; the lard can be store-bought or rendered from fresh pork fat. Dice the fat and fry it until crisp, then pour the rendered fat into a cup and let it cool to room temperature. Heat the butter and lard in a frying pan. When the fat starts to bubble gently, add the spice mixture. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 min and take it off the heat right away.
    
12. How to serve Nashville hot wings
13. Brush the fried wings with the sauce and transfer them to a large plate. If you like, serve extra sauce on the side. As most recipes suggest, hot wings are usually served with slices of white bread, often with pickles. The sauce keeps in the fridge for quite a while; just reheat it as needed. Serve the hot wings warm.
    
14. Sometimes the sauced wings are left in the fridge to soak up the sauce and served cold, or reheated – as you prefer. They also go well with French fries, vegetable salads or roasted vegetables.