Buffalo Wings

Pat the wings completely dry with kitchen paper — every surface, inside the folds too.

💡 Water is the enemy of crisp skin and it makes hot oil spit violently. This 60 seconds does more for the texture than anything else you will do.

Toss the dry wings with the baking powder and salt until every piece wears a thin, even dusting.

💡 Baking powder is alkaline: it raises the skin's pH so it browns faster and dries into a blistered, crackly surface. Do not swap in baking soda — it is far stronger and will leave a soapy, metallic taste.

Spread the wings on a rack, skin side up, and chill uncovered in the fridge for at least 1 hour — overnight is better.

💡 The fridge is a dehumidifier. Uncovered air-drying pulls moisture out of the skin so it fries crisp instead of steaming itself soft. Skip this and the wings will still be good, just softer.

Take the wings out of the fridge 20 minutes before frying so they lose their deep chill.

Cut the celery into batons and drop them into iced water. Put the blue cheese dressing in the fridge.

Heat the oil to 150°C. Fry the wings in two batches for 8 minutes each — they will look pale and unpromising, and that is correct.

💡 This first low fry cooks the meat through and renders the fat out of the skin. It is not meant to colour them.

Lift the wings onto a rack and rest them for at least 10 minutes. Bring the oil back up to 190°C in the meantime.

Melt the butter over low heat, take it off the stove, and whisk the hot sauce into it until the sauce is glossy and completely combined.

💡 Off the heat, and butter first. If you boil the mixture the emulsion splits into an oil slick sitting on red liquid, and it will slide straight off the wings instead of coating them.

Fry the wings again at 190°C, in two batches, for 3–4 minutes, until they are deep golden and the skin is visibly blistered and crackling.

💡 Listen to the pot: the loud, aggressive bubbling quietens as the surface water cooks off. That drop in noise means crisp.

Drain the wings on a rack — not on paper — for 30 seconds.

Tip the hot wings into a large bowl, pour the sauce over, and toss hard for about 15 seconds until every piece is coated orange.

💡 Toss while the wings are still fiercely hot — hot skin grips the sauce. And do it at the last possible second: sauce sitting on a wing is what makes it go soggy.

Serve immediately, straight from the bowl, with the ice-cold celery and blue cheese dressing on the side.