Gina: They call me the spice fairy on our show, but my husband is the hot man! If you can’t take the heat, you might want to reconsider this dish. Pat: Living in the South, I have, of course, acquired a taste for both spicy food and fried chicken. In fact, I love fried chicken so much that I eat it at least once a week. And the wings happen to be my favorite part of the bird. No cut is more succulent or flavorful, especially when dusted with fiery seasonings, dipped in batter, and fried. To fire up the flavor in this recipe, I season both the wings and the batter with cayenne, red-pepper flakes, black pepper, and even a little hot sauce. Like Gina says, I just can’t seem to get enough spice or fire. I should add that Gina not only understands my fried-chicken affliction, she encourages it, and several years ago, she went so far as to purchase me a countertop fryer. This has made it easy for me to come home any night and fry up some chicken (it has also saved on time and mess). You will definitely want to adjust the heat levels in this recipe. I have to do the same thing at home, because if it’s too hot my girls won’t eat it.

　　

Ingredients

serves 2 or 3

　　

Spicy Chicken Seasoning

1 tablespoon Neely’s Barbecue Seasoning (page 22)

　　1 tablespoon crushed red-pepper flakes

　　2 teaspoons black pepper

　　2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

　　2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

　　1 teaspoon lemon pepper

　　12 whole chicken wings, cut apart at the joint

　　

Spicy Chicken Batter

3 eggs

　　2 tablespoons hot sauce

　　1 tablespoon crushed red-pepper flakes

　　1 teaspoon black pepper

　　1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　2 cups all-purpose flour

　　Vegetable or peanut oil, for deep-frying

　　

Horseradish Dipping Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

　　2 scallions, green and white parts, finely chopped

　　2 tablespoons prepared (or grated fresh) horseradish

　　1/4 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz)

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together the Neely’s Barbecue Seasoning, red-pepper flakes, black pepper, cayenne, poultry seasoning, and lemon pepper. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this mixture in a separate bowl.

　　

Step 2

Rinse the chicken wings in cold water, and then place them in a shallow baking dish and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the wings evenly with the Spicy Chicken Seasoning, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.

　　

Step 3

Whisk the eggs, hot sauce, red-pepper flakes, black pepper, and cayenne together in a medium mixing bowl. Place the flour in a shallow pie plate.

　　

Step 4

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a Dutch oven (1 1/2 inches deep) over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F on a deep-fat thermometer.

　　

Step 5

Dip the chicken wings in the egg mixture, shaking off the excess, then in the flour. This process will be neater if you can keep one hand dry. Place half the wings in the hot oil and fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are cooked through and golden brown. Use tongs to transfer the wings to a paper towel–lined tray. Allow the oil to return to cooking temperature before adding the next batch. For extra hot results, sprinkle the cooked wings with the reserved seasoning. Serve with Horseradish Dipping Sauce (recipe follows).

　　

Horseradish Dipping Sauce

Step 6

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, and refrigerate until needed.

　　From Down Home with the Neelys by Patrick and Gina Neely Copyright (c) 2009 by Patrick and Gina Neely Published by Knopf.Patrick and Gina Neely are owners of Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis and hosts of several Food Network shows, including the series Down Home with the Neelys, one of the highest-rated programs to debut on the popular Food Network. High school sweethearts who reconciled at their ten-year reunion, they have been married since 1994. They live in Memphis with their two daughters.Paula Disbrowe collaborated with Susan Spicer on Crescent City Cooking and is the author of Cowgirl Cuisine.