Simple or sophisticated, wings are a crowd-pleasing snack

What is it about chicken wings that gets people so excited? Perhaps it was the prospect of unlimited tastings from more than a dozen different restaurants’ competitive creations, or perhaps it was because the entry fee (and chance to vote for your favorite) was going to support Ocean 98’s Cash for College Fund. No matter the motivation, hundreds of people lined up at Crooked Hammock Brewery for the 11th annual Best Wings on the Shore Contest last Sunday.

Our small group went to support the culinary team from the Lodge at Historic Lewes, but to make sure our votes were not biased, we tasted wings from as many chefs as possible. Several of them were similar in concept, combining sweet and spicy notes in a sticky glaze (thank goodness for the ample supply of wet wipes). Some were flavor-forward with unmistakable notes of honey, bourbon, pineapple or jalapeño pepper. Almost all of them did their best to hide the chicken and highlight the sauce.

Where did all the fuss about chicken wings begin? First, a definition – when most people refer to wings, they are actually referring to the Buffalo wing. These are unbreaded chicken wings, either the flat or drumette, that are deep-fried and coated in a cayenne pepper sauce. They're served with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing. The invention of this dish is usually attributed to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y., around 1964.

The origin story has at least two variations. One claims the wings were shipped to the restaurant instead of the standard chicken backs destined for spaghetti sauce, and the cook had to find a way to use them. Another has it that the restaurant owner’s son and his college buddies were looking for a late-night snack. Mom cooked up some deep-fried wings, slathered them with hot sauce, and served them with celery stalks left over from the salad bar.

A preference for using boneless chicken breasts instead of roasting the entire bird evolved in the 1980s in the United States, leaving the supply of wings as an inexpensive by-product. Several shrewd bar owners and restaurateurs found the relatively low-cost wings dressed in salty hot sauce could be sold to drive up sales of beer. As a result, most casual places have some version of chicken wings on their menu.

While Crooked Hammock provided the venue, Ocean 98 radio personalities served as emcees, and Mountaire Farms donated hundreds of pounds of fresh wings to the chefs. My favorite was the Silk Purse, created by the Lodge at Historic Lewes. After brining, the wings were twice fried, then dipped in black truffle and bacon-infused butter sauce. They were served on a fancy paper plate (see photo) and garnished with (lots of) shaved pecorino, bright-green gremolata and truffle caviar.

Despite the terrific flavor and presentation, they didn’t win, and best overall honors went to Papa Grande’s of Fenwick for the wings on their menu. Honors for the hottest (which I am glad I didn’t try, after watching Miki weep) were awarded to 45th Street Taphouse from Ocean City. The wings served by Lewes Oyster House, called “Goth Chik,” earned the award for most creative with a chili, ginger, squid ink wing that was completely black in color.

If you plan on making Buffalo chicken wings for your Super Bowl party, I’ve included a recipe from Serious Eats that uses baking powder to give you good results in the oven, instead of creating the stovetop mess typically associated with frying. Plan ahead, since they need to rest before baking, and remember to add the sauce as soon as they’re cooked. And, the best part of Sunday happened for us when Chef Marcos delivered a pan of leftover wings from the contest to our Sunday potluck at the Lodge!

Oven Baked Chicken Wings*

2 lbs chicken wings
2 t baking powder
2 t kosher salt
4 T unsalted butter
4 T hot sauce
blue cheese dressing, for dipping
celery sticks, for garnish

Cut the wings into two pieces to separate the drumettes from the flats. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack inside. Carefully dry chicken wings with paper towels. In a large bowl, combine wings with baking powder and salt, and toss until evenly coated. Arrange wings on rack in a single layer. Place baking sheet with wings in refrigerator and allow to rest, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, move oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 450 F. Place chicken wings in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Flip wings and continue to cook until crisp and golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Meanwhile, combine butter and hot sauce in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking to combine. When wings are browned and cooked through, transfer them to a large bowl, add sauce and toss to thoroughly coat. Serve wings immediately with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks. Yield: 4 servings. *Adapted from Serious Eats.