We love, love, love to cook and eat! We're from the school of thought that says, "If you eat, you should know how to cook" and we don't waste any time learning how to make anything we have a craving for.
Down Home with the Neelys is one of our favorite shows. At first, I, Quiana, wasn't too keen on it because of the joking and love taps and alla that. I usually prefer a more practical, nerdy approach like America's Test Kitchen, but then again I'm the same kid whose favorite book was "The Big Book of Why" so I guess that's not too surprising!
Anyway, we made Pat Neely's famous wings recipe and it sure is addictive! Just the right amount of sweet and spice.
Here's the recipe:
•2 teaspoons Neely's Dry Rub
•2 teaspoons kosher salt
•1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•Peanut oil, for frying
•3 pounds chicken wings, cut at joint, washed and dried
•1 to 2 tablespoons lemon-pepper seasoning
•4 tablespoons salted butter
•1 clove minced garlic
•1/2 cup hot sauce (recommend: Texas Pete's)
•2 tablespoons brown sugar
•1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
•1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions for the seasoning:
Neely’s Dry Rub: 1 1/2 cups paprika 3/4 cup sugar 3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder mix and store
Mix the dry rub, salt, and cayenne together in a small bowl.
Preheat deep-fryer with peanut oil to 350 degrees F.
For the wings:
Add the wings to a large mixing bowl and season with the lemon-pepper seasoning and toss to coat. Allow to sit for a few minutes, so flavors can permeate into the chicken.
Add the wings to the deep-fryer and fry until cooked through and golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. You may need to do this in batches.
Meanwhile, while wings are frying, melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat with the garlic. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the hot sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce until combined.
Remove wings from fryer and drain on a paper towel lined sheet tray. Immediately sprinkle with the seasoning.
Add fried wings to the large bowl of sauce and toss until well combined and wings are well coated. Serve immediately after tossing the wings with the sauce.
