Super Bowl Sunday and my attempt at wings with a little less fat and when you read the Fontina recipe you'll understand why I was trying to make a stab at a lower fat version of the wings.... they were tangy, and juicy and just a little crispy. The Fontina was all world, perhaps all universe and very simple to make.
Hot Wings
25 Chicken Wings
One Bottle Trappey's Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
One half Bottle Italian Dressing (Pick your favorite or make your own!)
2 tspn jarred horseradish
1 Tspn Garlic Powder
Fresh Cracked Pepper
I have to admit these were not as spicy as I would prefer but when you are making them for a crowd that includes kids it's always a good idea to shy away from those "atomic fire wings."
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let them "merge" while you are trimming the wings.
Fresh wings come with the tip attached which are easily removed with a pair of poultry shears, I prefer the Cutco type, or you if you feel confident with a hefty French knife or clever that will work well also. Personally, I experimented with both and much preferred the clever method, once again of the Cutco variety. First I clipped all the wings and then I split the remaining wing sections in half. The beauty of wings is it's not exactly a "precision art" to say the least. Just pay attention to the wings you get at your favorite bar or local pub next time you order them...just hack away and you'll be fine.
Our ever hungry 16 year old cat: Simba, can smell a raw chicken wing from a mile away and always shows up to sit on his favorite bar stool at our kitchen island just in case something falls to the floor.
Once the wings are trimmed and split place them in the Ziploc and add the sauce. Let them marinate all day and give a tussle every now and them to evenly coat the entire batch. I trimmed the wings and stored them in the frig all day until halftime at the super bowl. What a great game by the way!! Not a huge fan of either team but happy to see the Packers win.
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
Line a baking sheet with tin foil, spray with a bit of Pam and set the wings with a bit of room in between to make sure they cook evenly.
Baste generously with sauce and place in hot oven for 15 minutes
At 15 minutes, turn 'em, baste 'em put 'em back in for another 15 to twenty minutes. For anyone reading this outside of Tucson you should be aware that we are at 2550 feet above sea level and baking takes a bit longer at this altitude.
Serve with Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressing and some raw carrots and celery.
Our friends the Wambachs stopped by for the game sans Mr. Joe who was ice fishing in Wisconsin (say what???)!
Mr. Nick vs. the iPad.... he also love the rice krispy treats that Megster made and brought to the party!
Every body loved the flavor and they went really well with the totally outrageous Fontina Cheese Melt that Cherie served. Recipe to appear soon....
Baked Fontina Dip- Cherie's First Post!!
I have a deep passion for....cheese! I love all things involving cheese and like french fries, have rarely met a cheese I didn't like, which is actually a little sad for my thighs! But, whatever!! So, when I was searching for something fun and easy to make for our Super Bowl spread last week, the Fontina Bake which is in the latest cookbook of Barefoot Contessa jumped off the page at me! It is sooo very simple to prepare and it was everything to wish for in a gooey, fabulous, not fat-free, cheesy dip! My daughter, Meghan helped me make it and she is getting so very creative in the kitchen! I just love that girl! The recipe recommends that you make this dish in a cast-iron pot...I think you could pull it off in a baking dish, but luckily we have a cast-iron pot thats been in Brian's family for around 100 years ( he comes from a long line of cooks, I don't) and we used it for this recipe.
Meg Jumped in and helped the entire day!!
The recipe calls for:
1 1/2 pounds of Italian Fontina Cheese ( I found it at Trader Joe's - had to buy 3 separate pieces) which you cut the rinds off of and dice into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup of olive oil - ok, I followed this, but I actually think it was a little too much, so I would use half that much next time.
6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tsp. fresh rosemary leaves
(p.s. - they have awesome herb pots at Trader Joes, I bought one in November and ironically, its still thriving under my care)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 crusty French baguette - I buy almost all special breads like this at Trader Joes as well.
The contessa does not toast her baguette slices. After a major discussion about toasting or not with Meghan, we decided to go ahead and slice the baguette thinly and brush with a little olive oil. Then toast the slices under the broiler until they are golden brown - and we ended up loving the slices being crispy with the dip.
For the cheese:
Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack around 5 inches from the heat. After dicing the cheese, place in the dish. Drizzle with the olive oil. Combine the garlic slices, herbs and sprinkle it over the cheese and toss with a spoon - just a little. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Place under the broiler for around 6 minutes, check it and we needed to let it broil for around another 4 to 5 minutes until everything is melted together and bubbling on the edges.
We then removed it from the oven and put the whole deal right on the table on a hot plate for everyone to share. It truly was an incredible experience....it is soooo good! We dipped only bread in it and drank white wine or sparkling soda, if you were under the age of 20, and loved it. We remarked later, that to possibly save on some of the calorie content ( if you really want to!) it probably be very good with sliced apples and pears as well, but the crunchy baguette was - oh my, - so delightful!
I'm making it for a lunch on Monday that I'm hostessing here for some of my sweetest girlfriends! A good girlfriend always tries to fatten up her favorite girlfriends...tee hee!! I will serve it with a salad as welll (just so they aren't too freaked out about having only cheese and bread for lunch!) and I'm going to make an old fashioned cookie recipe of my Aunt Evelyn's that I haven't made in years called Lacy Cookies! I'll let you know how it all goes!!
Have a LOVE-filled weekend....Love the one you're with! (and buy them a present!)
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