Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings with Confit Garlic Butter

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The wings that own every bar menu, done properly at home with no deep fryer. A baking-powder dry brine plus a low-then-hot two-stage bake renders the fat and blisters the skin into something genuinely shattering. The sauce is the real upgrade: garlic slowly softened in butter until sweet and nutty, then whisked with a splash of water and a heap of finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano so it clings like a glaze instead of sliding off in a greasy puddle.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lb chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes, tips removed
• 1 tbsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp hot water
• 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, very finely grated (about 2 oz)
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt, to taste

• 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, for showering
• flaky sea salt
• lemon wedges, for serving

• 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing

Instructions

1. Pat the wings very dry with paper towels — dry skin is the whole game. In a large bowl, whisk together the baking powder, 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add the wings and toss with your hands for a full minute until every piece wears a thin, even, chalky coating.
2. Set a wire rack inside a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and arrange the wings skin side up in a single layer, not touching. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour, or up to 12 hours overnight, to air-dry the skin.
3. Position one oven rack in the lower third and one in the upper third. Heat the oven to 250°F. Bake the wings on the lower rack for 30 minutes — this gentle stage melts out the fat under the skin without browning.
4. Raise the oven to 425°F (leave the wings in while it climbs). Move the sheet to the upper rack and roast 35 to 45 minutes more, rotating the pan once, until the skin is deep golden, crackly, and pulled tight. An instant-read thermometer in a drumette should read 195 to 200°F, well past done, which is exactly where wings taste best.
5. While the wings roast, make the sauce. Combine the butter, olive oil, and sliced garlic in a small skillet or saucepan over the lowest heat. Cook 10 to 14 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic slices are soft, sweet-smelling, and just barely blond at the edges. Do not let them go brown or the sauce will taste bitter. Stir in the red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds more, then remove from the heat.
6. Let the garlic butter cool for 2 minutes, then whisk in the hot water — it will look loose and cloudy, which is what you want. Add the 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in three additions, whisking hard after each, until you have a glossy, pourable sauce about the thickness of heavy cream. Whisk in the lemon juice and taste for salt (the cheese does most of the work).
7. Tip the hot wings into a large dry bowl. Pour over about three-quarters of the garlic Parmesan butter and toss vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds so the sauce sets on the hot skin rather than pooling. Add the remaining sauce only if the wings look dry.
8. Pile the wings onto a warm platter, shower with the parsley, the extra 2 tbsp Parmesan, and a pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and, if you like, a bowl of ranch or blue cheese for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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