First, suspend your disbelief ... second, let me tell you how this chaotic dish came to be.
A few months ago, I ate at a little BBQ restaurant that smoked andthen deep fried their hot wings ... and sweet baby cheeses were they good. Somewhere in a dark little corner of my mind this concept has been percolating, slowing taking shape into a version of smoked/fried wings that is a bit less fattening and doesn't make me bust out the deep fryer.
Behold ... the
Smoked & (Oven) Fried Chicken Wing- 12-14 whole wings, butchered into the drumette and flat (wing tips left on)
- Poultry rub of your choice (for the smoking portion)
- 2/3 Cup AP Flour
- 1/2 Cup Corn Starch
- 3 Tbsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- 3 Tbsp cracked black pepper
- 3 Tbsp poultry rub (for the breading portion)
- 3 Tbsp garlic powder
- Pam Cooking Spray (Butter Flavored)
- BBQ sauce of your choice
1. Coat each wing portion with a heavy coat of your favorite poultry rub (I used
http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=784.0). I dredged each piece rather than sprinkling the rub.
2. Let sit in a glass or stainless bowl in the refrigerator for three hours.
3. Place wing portions in a cold smoker at 250 degrees with two ounces of cherry for 90 minutes.
4. Mix flour, corn starch and spices listed above into a Ziploc gallon bag.
5. Preheat oven to 425 and place the rack in the middle.
6. Remove wing portions, spray heavily with Pam Butter Flavored cooking spray, and throw 2-3 pieces into the flour bag for a good shaking.
7. Remove chicken pieces, shaking off excess flour mixture, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with Pam.
8. Place chicken in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove and flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
9. Again remove chicken and toss wings in your favorite bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Brown Sugar).
10. Place again in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until sauce is set.
Let's just say that despite the oven fry method (with a simple breading) the smoke flavor was still very much a component of the flavor profile and the crispy texture was a very nice contrast. This tends to be a bit healthier than your typical fried hot wing but it is also much easier with regard to clean up. If I do this again, I'll probably broil them quickly to set the sauce rather than baking at the same temp as they were just a touch overcooked. Overall, not bad for a lazy way to make chicken wings and still get my money's worth from my #3 while STILL watching the Walking Dead marathon and grading a ton of college final exams.
