Lemon Pepper Wet Wings

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

For the vast majority of my life, when you would hear chicken wings, 99% of the time it would refer to either buffalo-style chicken wings or fried chicken. But, you would just say fried chicken if that's what you meant, and then you would be talking about a selection of chicken parts fried in a particular way. It's safe to say, you could ask someone if they wanted wings, and they'd know you meant chicken wings, usually deep-fried and covered with a red-orange cayenne sauce. If you went to a wings joint, you could try lots of different heat levels and sometimes a teriyaki version or maybe some other cloyingly sweet wing. The idea of lemon pepper wings wasn't entirely alien to me; they just conjured up visions of lemon pepper seasoning, which I would sometimes sprinkle over vegetables and sometimes chicken breasts. It was never exciting, so only rarely would the stale plastic bottle of seasoning make an appearance. To think lemon pepper would shake the foundation of my understanding and connection to one of my favorite foods was unimaginable.

Not too long ago, I was reading an issue of one of my many back issue copies of Cook's Country, which is part of America's Test Kitchen. Within the April/May 2022 issue, I kept going back to the recipe and article on page 9. I was fascinated that the people of Atlanta prefer wings prepared in a way other than what I expected to be the last word on hot wings. I read that their favorite variation is known as “lemon pepper wet,” in which crispy fried wings are coated with a zesty, peppery dry seasoning blend and topped with either clarified butter or buffalo sauce. How good could it be? The dry ingredients list alone was as long as my arm and included dehydrated lemon zest. The perfectly classic Buffalo wings I have made for the last many years only required a dusting of flour with salt and pepper before frying up and slathering with a bottled hot sauce and melted butter. I was ready to dismiss the recipe as gimmicky until I read one interesting ingredient - citric acid.

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

Citric acid is the kind of ingredient you see in sour candy that makes it so good. If the recipe I was making needed more acidity, I would usually add vinegar or lemon juice. I tend to steer away from adding ingredients that seem unnatural, but as it turns out, citric acid is found in lots of baking and canning recipes. Citric acid is a concentrated powder that raises the acidity level of a food or solution it is added to. To give you an idea of how to measure the sourness, ¼ teaspoon citric acid = 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice. Be aware, citric acid is not as good as lemon juice when controlling oxidation, so it isn't an ingredient you should substitute if you don't have lemon juice. When I looked for it in the grocery store, I couldn't find it, so I ended up ordering some online. Later, I found out that you can usually find it in the jarring and canning section and not the spice aisle.

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

I like to have my wings wet. I don't mind them swimming in sauce. There's a perfect balance of texture, though. You run the risk of a soggy or slimy chicken wing if it's drenched the way I like them. The article I read has a solution for this - flour, baking powder, and cornstarch are added. If you've ever fried anything with cornstarch, you know it gets puffy and crispy. The first time I did this was when making General Tso's chicken and it was amazing. The coating stayed crisp and crunchy and the puffy coating held on to the sauce. At this point, I knew I would give the recipe a shot. Afterall, I almost always have chicken wings in my freezer.

I wasn't sure I'd have Buffalo style wings ever again.

For the most part, I followed the America's Test Kitchen recipe to the letter, but since I didn't own a microwave oven at the time, I dehydrated the lemon zest in my oven. That step only added about 20 minutes, and I'll be sure to explain how to do both methods in the recipe. And even though the list of dry ingredients is long, you should already have most of the spices. The only outliers are maybe dried coriander or turmeric. I think it took me a little over an hour from beginning to end to make this recipe for the first time. And if you don't have a deep fryer like me, cooking in a Dutch oven or shallow frying are definitely recommended options. I just wouldn't bake them since the wings rely on the texture you can only achieve by frying.

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

The wings obviously knocked me out. The vibrant orange and flecks of dried lemon zest were more inviting than any wing I had ever been acquainted with. Being used to bright red, burn-your-face-off wings to mild and saucy wings with celery sticks and blue cheese, this newcomer had a lot to say. Holy cow. I want to be honest with you. These wings are the best wings I’ve ever had. It’s not even close. I had the kind of feeling you get when you look down at your plate before you've even swallowed your first bite, and feel bad because you wish you had made more. I wanted to call people to tell them about this joyous meal. I hugged my wife and kids and remember it like it was yesterday. I wasn't sure I'd ever have Buffalo-style wings again. That part, of course, isn't true, but you still get the idea.

I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't get stuck in a routine, eating the same food all the time. Changing it up is healthier for every aspect of your life. I know I say it a lot, but having a connection to what you eat is super important, and you tend to not do that when you're on autopilot in the kitchen. I'm happy I tried an old favorite, reimagined in an exciting new way. It allowed me to rethink all the recipes I tend to think are solved and don't need improving. Using different spice blends, techniques, and flavor profiles doesn't always work when you're making something you already cook well, but you start to see the connection in everything when you venture into uncharted territory. Sometimes it does, and it is one of the most satisfying things you can imagine. I had almost convinced myself that making this recipe was a waste of time, but I'm happy that some mystical force convinced me otherwise. Cooking this meal helped me realize why I love chicken wings so much - the texture and ritual of it, and it didn't only have to do with the Buffalo sauce I have known my whole life - which I still adore. So call your friends and family, give them the good news that you're cooking up some wings, and prepare yourself for something very special.