Up in Buffalo, New York, the Anchor Bar’s wings are the stuff of legend. Ever since they were invented in 1964 for a group of hungry late-night patrons, many have attempted to duplicate the wings’ well-guarded original recipe: deep-fried, then coated in a buttery-spicy sauce that must, and we mean must, be made with Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. Blue cheese dressing and celery sticks complete the picture. Current Anchor Bar owner Ivano Toscani almost laughed us off the phone when we attempted to extract his exact formula, but he practically challenged us to create the best replica we could. Ivano, here you go
Ingredients
For the Blue Cheese Dip
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 tablespoon whole milk or buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Wings
- Peanut oil, for frying
- 30 chicken wings (about 3 pounds), wing tips removed, cut into 2 parts and patted dry
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne
- Pepper Sauce
- Celery sticks, for serving
How to Make It
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Make the Dip
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, blue cheese, milk, salt, and pepper. Cover and chill while you make the wings. Make the Wings
- Preheat the oven to 250°F. Fill a large pot halfway with oil and heat to 350°F. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside. Working in 3 or 4 batches, fry the wings until golden and crispy, 12 to 13 minutes. Drain the wings on the rack, then cover them with foil and place in the oven to keep warm. To Serve
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is fully melted, whisk in the hot sauce until warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove the wings from the oven, add them to the sauce, and gently toss until fully coated. Serve with the blue cheese dip and celery sticks.