Photo by William P. Edwards/iStock
SERVES 8–10
2 pounds chicken drumettes
¼ cup hot sauce or pepper sauce for marinade
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup bread crumbs, optional
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup hot sauce for finishing sauce
Blue cheese dressing
Celery and carrot sticks
In a nonreactive bowl or resealable plastic bag, marinate drumettes in ¼ cup hot sauce for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, bread crumbs, salt and cayenne. Pour oil into a large, deep, heavy-bottomed skillet, to about 2 inches deep. Do not overfill. Place pan over medium-high heat, and heat until the oil registers 375 F on a deep-frying thermometer. (You can also use an electric deep fryer.) Working in three batches, dredge the drumettes in the flour mixture, and fry until lightly browned, about 6–8 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer drumettes to a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet. Make sure the oil temperature comes back to the proper temperature before frying each batch.
In a large bowl, combine butter, lemon juice and ¼ cup hot sauce. Toss fried drumettes in this mixture, and transfer to a large, foil-lined baking sheet, or 2 small ones. Bake for 30 minutes, until drumettes are crispy and have absorbed most of the sauce. Transfer to a serving platter, and serve with dressing and celery and carrot sticks.
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Recipe tip
How to serve safe party food
Whether you’re tailgating, serving a buffet meal or setting out snacks at a party, you want to be safe with foods that will be left sitting out for extended periods of time. Make sure to check the temperature and condition of the food periodically. Cold items should be kept under 41 F, and warm items should be kept above 140 F. A food thermometer can help you check temperatures. If you’re grilling burgers, wear vinyl gloves while handling the raw beef, and cook the patties to an internal temperature of 160 F, to make sure they are bacteria free. Keep your grill going during the party so you can reheat warm items if necessary. Also, keep plenty of fresh ice in your cooler so you can chill cool foods as needed.