Chicken Wings and Health

No doubt about it, if you are going to enjoy true Buffalo-style wings in all their glory, you will be eating the skin. The skin is indeed the fatty part, comprised of 17% fat, yet it also lends the most flavors along with the sauce of choice.

If the oil is hot enough when you fry the wings, much of the fat will cook off into the frying oil while sealing in the juice of the meat, leaving a nice crispy skin.

Baking is also an alternative. Bake until crispy on a rack inside a baking pan to catch the drips, and then dip into hot sauce mixture.

If you are watching your fat intake and must avoid the skin, some markets carry skinless drummettes, both fresh and frozen. Try baking them and dredging in a hot sauce, but you'll also want to forego the traditional butter that is mixed in with the hot sauce.

CROCKPOT WINGS

Spicy chicken wings are cooked in the crockpot with honey and barbecue sauce, along with spicy seasonings.

Crockpot Wings
Ingredients:

* 3 pounds chicken wings (16 wings)
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 1/2 cups any variety barbecue sauce
* 1/4 cup honey
* 2 teaspoons prepared mustard or spicy mustard
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* Tabasco to taste, optional

Preparation:

Rinse chicken wings; pat dry. Cut off and discard wing tips then cut each wing at the joint to make two sections. Sprinkle wing pieces with salt and pepper; place wings on a lightly oiled broiler pan. Broil about 4 inches from the heat for 10 minutes on each side, or until chicken wings are nicely browned. Transfer chicken wings to crockpot.

In a bowl, combine barbecue sauce, honey, spicy mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Pour sauce over chicken wings. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on High 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Serve directly from slow cooker, keeping temperature on LOW. Makes about 30 chicken wings.