Old Bay Wings with Garlic Lime Aioli

So I used to have this thing when I was younger when I refused to eat any kind of meat on a bone.  So I, shockingly, didn’t know the wonders of buffalo wings until I was well into my twenties.  (I know, sad.)  Even though they are not my go-to menu item, once in a while I really crave them. 

There are two places in the Philly area where I am all about the wings - Byrne’s Tavern in Port Richmond and New London Pizza in Prospect Park in Delco.  Great wings if you ever get the chance.  Anyhoo….

My son LOVES old bay seasoning and hot sauce.  Those two things are literally his favorite condiments on the planet and he douses everything he eats in one or the other.  So I thought, why no combine the two?  I have never seen it done before or heard of it, so I tried it out.  Below is the fruits of my labor.  A ridiculously awesome take on buffalo wings that you will adore.  With the addition of the homemade aioli as an alternative to the blue cheese dressing, it really makes these wings pop.    

Old Bay Wings with Garlic Lime Aioli

 Ingredients:

FOR WINGS:

2 lbs chicken wings

2 TBSP old bay seasoning

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup cornstarch

Vegetable oil for frying

FOR SAUCE:

1 stick butter

Juice and zest of 1 lime

1 tsp of old bay seasoning

1/3 cup of hot sauce (I use Frank’s original)

FOR AIOLI:

¾ cup of mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, minced finely

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tsp of old bay seasoning

3 scallions, chopped

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

Method:

In a bowl large enough to hold the wings, dump in the wings, 2 TBSP of old bay seasoning and ¼ cup of vegetable oil.  Work mixture with your hands until every wing is evenly coated.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator. 

Let’s make your aioli.  In a medium bowl, combine all of the aioli ingredients.  Mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.  (You can even make this the night before and let the flavors really develop.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place a raised wire baking rack over a baking sheet.  Spray with non-stick spray.

Arrange the wings onto the wire rack, being sure to not overlap.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

In a brown paper lunch bag, dump in the cornstarch.  Take the baked wings a few at a time and shake them in the cornstarch mixture.  Place back on wire rack and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Heat up a cast iron skillet with about 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees.  Fry the wings in small batches until brown and crispy on both sides.  As the wings are fried, place them once again on the wire rack to keep them really crispy. 

In a small sauce pan, heat the butter, hot sauce, old bay, lime zest and juice over low heat until all ingredients are melted and combined. 

In a really large bowl, dump the wings and sauce.  Use a pair of tongs to shake and toss the wings in the wing sauce until completely coated. 

Place on a plate to enjoy and serve with the aioli for dipping.

As always, get your asses in the kitchen!! 

Krissi Biasiello is a native of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Cooking since she was a little girl with her large Italian family, she decided to leave her paralegal job and shoot for the stars on FOX’s cooking competition show, MasterChef.  She beat out 43,000 homecooks across America and came in 4^th place.  Under the scrutiny of Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich, Krissi has made her mark in the culinary world.  She now shares her recipes with all of you!  Her rustic, homestyle take on everything will win you over and will definitely “get your asses in the kitchen”.

To contact Krissi for appearances, in-home demonstrations, catering and more, you can find her below. 

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