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Photo from
Anchor Bar
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo-Style Chicken Wings
Recipe
The actual recipe for the Anchor Bar's Buffalo Chicken Wings
is kept a closely guarded secret by the family, but you will
find that the following recipe tastes a lot like theirs.
Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe
follows)
24 (about 4 pounds) chicken wings
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable oil
4 teaspoons butter
2 to 5 tablespoons hot pepper sauce or to taste
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Celery sticks
Make Blue Cheese Dressing first
and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.
Cut off the tip of each chicken
wing and discard it. Cut the wing in half (cutting at the joint)
to make two pieces. Wash and dry the chicken wings (they need to
be very dry to be fried crisp). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a deep fryer or large pot, add
vegetable oil and heat to 400 degrees F. or until the oil starts
to pop and sizzle. (Note: The oil should be able to cover the
wings and still maintain the same temperature.) If using an
electric fryer, set the temperature to 425 degrees F.
Add half of the chicken wings and
cook 10 to 15 minutes or until golden and crisp, stirring
occasionally. When done, remove from the hot oil and drain on
paper towels (do not pile the wings in a bowl, because the fat
will cool and congeal before it runs off). Repeat with remaining
chicken wings.
In a large saucepan over medium
heat, melt butter. Add hot sauce and vinegar; stir well and
remove from heat immediately. Add drained and cooled chicken
wings and mix together. Using tongs, take chicken wings out of
sauce and let the excess sauce drain off. Place the wings on a
hot grill or in a 350 degree F. oven for 2 to 3 minutes to bake
in the sauce. Serve with Blue Cheese Dressing and celery sticks.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Blue
Cheese Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Red (cayenne) pepper to taste
In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, onion, garlic, parsley,
sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, blue cheese, salt, pepper, and
cayenne pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before
serving.
Makes 2 1/2 cups.
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Buffalo Chicken Wings History
Photo of the Anchor Bar in
Buffalo, New York.
The now famous (and
nationally beloved) Buffalo Chicken Wings were
originally created at Frank & Teressa's Anchor Bar in
Buffalo, New York, on October 30, 1964, by owner Teresso
Bellissimo. They are deep-fried chicken wings served
with a hot sauce, celery stalks, and blue cheese
dressing.
The Anchor Bar's Buffalo
Chicken Wings were an instant success and their impact
on Buffalo was so great that former mayor, Stanley M. Makowski, proclaimed Friday, July 29, 1977, as "Chicken
Wing Day." The city's proclamation noted that because of
Mrs. Bellissimo's kitchen, "thousands of pounds of
chicken wings are consumed by Buffalonians in
restaurants and taverns throughout the city each week."
The Anchor Bar is a
favorite stop for visiting celebrities and dignitaries
from all over the world. The walls of the cafe are lined
with awards, celebrity pictures, national comic strips,
newspaper articles, and proclamations about the famous
Anchor Bar Wings. They are said to serve over 1,000
chicken wings each day.
The following story on the
origin of Buffalo Chicken Wings was written by Dom
Bellissimo and sent to me, Linda Stradley, by Ivano
Toscani, executive/chef/manager, of the Anchor Bar:
"I would like
my customers to know the real story behind our chicken
wings. One Friday night back in 1964, I was working behind
the bar. It was busy that night. My mother, Teressa, was in
the kitchen cooking and dad, Frank, was in the restaurant
greeting customers. It was one of those good Friday nights.
At about 11:30
p.m., a group of my friends came through the door, and they
were starving! I told them to wait until midnight so they
could have what they wanted. I served another round of
drinks. By midnight, they were really hungry. I asked my
mother to fix something for them. About 20 minutes later,
she brought out two plates and set them on the bar. They all
asked, "What is this?." To tell you the truth, I also was
curious to know what those things were! They looked like
chicken wings, but I was afraid to say so!
To make a long
story short, yes, they were chicken wings. She was about to
put them in the stock pot (for soup). She looked at them and
said, "It's a shame to put such beautiful wings in a stock
pot."
The rest is
history! My mother created the famous chicken wings now
served all over the country! Wherever you go, when you
mention chicken wings, you will remember about my mother,
Teressa, and that famous night in Buffalo."
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