Batch Size
Serves 3-5 (appetizer)
Menu Description: “Nearly world famous. Often imitated, hardly ever duplicated.”
Ingredients
| Qty | Unit | Ingredient | Notes |
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Instructions
- Heat the oil:
- Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375°F — enough to cover the wings entirely, an inch or so deep at least.
- Make the hot sauce mixture:
- Combine the butter, hot sauce, ground pepper, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat until the butter is melted and ingredients are well blended.
- Make the flour coating:
- Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small bowl.
- Coat and chill the wings:
- If wings are frozen, defrost them.
- Put wings in a large bowl and sprinkle the flour mixture over them, coating each wing evenly.
- Refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes — this helps the breading stick when fried.
- Fry the wings:
- Put all the wings into the hot oil and fry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown.
- Drain:
- Remove the wings to a paper towel to drain — but don't let them sit too long, you want to serve them hot.
- Sauce and serve:
- Quickly put the wings into a large bowl. Add the hot sauce mixture and stir, coating all wings evenly (or use a large lidded plastic container: put the wings in, add the sauce, put on the lid, then shake).
- Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side.
Backstory:
"Hooters is to chicken wings what McDonald's is to hamburgers," claims promotional material from the company. The six fun-loving Midwestern businessmen who started Hooters in Clearwater, Florida, on April Fool's Day in 1983 chose a classic recipe for chicken wings as their feature item. Today there are nearly 200 Hooters across the United States serving more than 150 tons of chicken wings every week.
The original dish can be ordered in 10-, 20-, or 50-piece servings; or there's the "Gourmet Chicken Wing Dinner" featuring 20 wings and a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne for $125. To further enhance the Hooters experience, throw a whole roll of paper towels on the table rather than napkins, as they do in the restaurants.