Cooking for Zo

Taste Level: VGR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 3-4 hours
Cook Time: 30-35 min.
Difficulty: 1

I came up with this recipe out of necessity back in college. When I first moved out, I lived in a college house with three other guys and our refrigerator was always pretty much empty except for pizza rolls and beer... Plenty of beer. Eventually I got a dorm room refrigerator that I kept stocked with groceries. I kept it in my room right next to my bed where I could keep guard over my food. Before that it was fend for yourself and eat whatever looked like it was possibly edible. Luckily one of my roomies was always bring home random meat. We never cared where or how he got it, it was something besides pizza rolls and beer! Since we did not have many other ingredients I would just mix what we had and hope for the best. This recipe along with a Jack Daniel's turkey I made are two of the best creations from that time of my life. It is simple yet everyone I've given this recipe has said it was a hit for whom ever they made it for.

Ingredients:
2 cups Italian volcanic lemon juice
2 medium bottles of Italian dressing
2 bottles of Louisiana hot sauce
4.5 lbs of chicken wings
1 stick of unsalted sweet European butter
butter for coating baking sheet
fresh crack pepper
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika (optional)

In a large seal able container mix 1 bottle of hot sauce and both bottles of dressing. Place wings into container and let marinate refrigerate for 3-4 hours (I have let marinate for up to 6 hours.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl melt 1 stick butter and mix with 1 bottle of hot sauce, 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika and 1/2 cup of the chicken marinade. Remove chicken wings from container and place in a well buttered large baking dish. Drizzle butter/marinade sauce evenly over chicken wings, crack pepper to taste, (sprinkle paprika if using) and bake for 25 minutes. During the last 5 minutes preheat your grill to medium high.

(It is important to note that wings can be put in storage container and moved to refrigerator before this next step, if you are making them ahead. To finish just take out of fridge let sit on counter for 10-15 minutes and then continue with the next step.) Remove wings from oven and place on grill and cook till crisping usually 5-7 minutes. Serve alone, with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.

Additional uses for this recipe:
1. Cut chicken off bone and serve over your favorite salad greens with blue cheese dressing and fresh crack pepper.