Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip and Celery

americannewyorkbuffalowings For residents of Buffalo, New York, true Buffalo wings only come from Frank and Teressa’s Anchor Bar, where owner Teressa Bellissimo invented the dish in 1964. There, wings are fried, then tossed in a combination of melted butter and hot sauce. Today, the Anchor Bar serves 2,000 lbs of wings each day.

Chicken Wings:
neutral oil (canola, peanut, or sunflower), for frying
4 lbs chicken wings (about 40), separated into 2 pieces, wing tips removed, rinsed
kosher salt

Buffalo Sauce:
12 Tbsp. (3 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup Louisiana hot sauce, preferably Frank’s Red Hot
1½ Tbsp. white vinegar
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Blue Cheese Dip:
1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
¾ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

To serve:
4 large ribs celery, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 3” sticks

Heat an oven to 200°F. Place a wire rack on a large heat-resistant platter or baking sheet and set it by the stove.

In a large Dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, pour oil to a depth of 2" and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350°F. Regulate the heat to maintain the temperature as you prepare the wings for frying.

Use paper towels to pat the wings dry, then season them lightly with kosher salt. Working in batches, fry the wings until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer the wings to the wire rack and place in the oven to keep warm until all of the wings are fried.

Make the Buffalo Sauce:
In a wide, deep skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the hot sauce until smooth. Add the vinegar, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce. Add the wings, toss until completely coated, and then remove from the heat.

Make the Blue Cheese Dip:
Combine blue cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, Worcestershire and seasoning in a bowl and mix well.

Transfer the wings to a large bowl or platter and serve with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce and celery sticks on the side.

Makes 4-6 servings.