Posted By PERVAIZ SHALLWANI, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

But those years haven’t always been kind. All manner of over-fried and stale-tasting frozen fowl limbs get passed off as the real deal. Some are so bad they are almost an insult to the beer and football they pair so nicely with. "People are like, ’Oh, it doesn’t matter. They are just chicken wings,"’ and they buy bad chicken, says Food Network Iron Chef Michael Symon.

But bad chicken will produce bad chicken wings, no matter how good of a cook you are, he says.

Ready to forego a takeout run this year? Here is what you need to know.

THE CHICKEN

The flavour of the chicken is central to the perfect wing, so avoid the grocer’s freezer case. Frozen poultry retains moisture, and moisture produces soggy, overcooked fried food. "You want fresh wings, not frozen, because it affects taste," says Ivano Toscani, who has served as general manager of Anchor Bar for 35 years. "Fresh wings don’t produce as much water."

Most national and private label brands will work fine, but free-range and organic birds often sport more tender meat. And that produces a better wing. All too often, the skin becomes rubbery, instead of crisp, says Symon. The reason? The skin is filled with water, which steams the bird instead of frying it when it hits the hot oil.

The fix isn’t quick, but it is easy. Coating the wings with kosher salt overnight draws out some of this moisture. It also helps tenderize the meat and is a good chance to flavour the chicken by adding seasonings to the salt, says Symon.

THE FRYING

The right oil and temperature will create the right balance of crispy skin and tender meat. "When you bite into a chicken wing, it should fight back a little bit, but it should be tender like a rib," says Symon. "You want it to be tender, but you don’t want it to fall right off the bone."

Start by selecting your frying medium. Technically speaking, any oil but extra-virgin olive (which has too low a smoke point) will work. But for the best flavour, you’ll want an oil with a neutral flavour, such as canola or all-purpose vegetable.

Traditionally, wings are fried only once for several minutes between 365°F (185°C) and 375°F (190°C). But this can result in wings that either aren’t well crisped outside, or aren’t nicely cooked inside. To fix this problem, we borrowed an Asian technique for frying chicken twice. With this approach, the wings take an initial oil bath for several minutes at 275°F (140°C).

"You’re not trying to crisp the skin," says Symon. "You are just trying to poach the meat."

The wings then are removed from the oil and the heat is increased to 375°F (190°C). The wings then go back into the oil, during which they are quickly crisped. As with all frying, don’t crowd the pot. This can lower the temperature of the oil and result in soggy wings. It’s also good to keep the wings moving in the oil (a wooden spoon is ideal) so they don’t stick together, Toscani says.

THE COATING

Everyone seems to have their own potion for a tangy, sweet and spicy coating.

A vinegary hot sauce whisked with a little sugar makes the base for most sauces. We opted for a mix of honey and a spicy chili sauce available in the Asian food aisle of most grocers.

Soy sauce adds a nice savoury, salty undertone, and melted butter offers a smooth texture. Finely chopped cilantro to finish deepened the flavours and added fresh notes and colours.

Be sure to coat the wings while still piping hot. This helps the sticky sauce cling to the skin.

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