Canadians have always had a soft spot for Buffalo, NY. If cities could be adopted, Canada would have made Buffalo a member of the family long ago. We love to shop and watch football games there, and occasionally poke fun at the number of snow storms they get hit with. Another favourite is the famed Buffalo chicken wing! This year, celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Buffalo Wing—it’s a saucy one.
The Buffalo Wing started in 1964, when Teressa Bellisimo, owner of Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY, made the delightful snack for patrons dining at the famed eatery. From there, the Buffalo Wing was born! Foodies raved about it and quickly word spread across the state, and eventually the world. Today the Anchor Bar is a tourist site for visitors seeking the original recipe for the Buffalo Wing.
Every Labour Day weekend, some 80,000 people from across the U.S. and nearly every continent make a pilgrimage to Coca-Cola Field in downtown Buffalo to celebrate wings at the
National Buffalo Wing Festival. There, they sample wings from Buffalo and across North America, cheer for their favourite contestants in the Chicken Wing Eating Championship (the record is 191 wings in 12 minutes!), and witness wing sauce competitions. The festival was founded by “Wing King” Drew Cerza.
The Buffalo wing is beautiful in its simplicity.
Just remember, there are 3 Rules to making an authentic Buffalo wing:
- No breading
- Always deep fried
- True buffalo sauce is made of just butter and cayenne pepper
BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS—Original 1964 Recipe
Ingredients:
2 ½ -3 pounds chicken wings, split and tips discarded
1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce (or more to taste)
1/3 cup butter, melted
Blue cheese dressing (optional)
Celery sticks (optional)
Deep fry wings at 350°F (HIGH) for 12-15 minutes or until cooked and crispy. Alternately: Grill over medium heat, turning often -OR- bake wings 45 minutes at 425°F until fully cooked and crispy, turning halfway. Don’t overcook the wings. The meat of the wings should be 165 degrees.
Combine Frank’s RedHot Sauce and butter in bowl.
Toss wings in sauce to coat completely. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.
Makes 24 to 30 individual pieces.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
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