Wingin’ It: Bay-Eyed Suzy wings for Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens

Of course football is a game, but it is not just now a game. Football is an experience. The kind of experience that goes better with a little food. If you are a Buffalo Bills fan and are looking for something special to add to your gaming activities, Buffalo Rumblings is the place for you!

This week we’re going back to our roots with a fan suggestion, something I call…

Suzy Wings with brown eyes

I have no idea when chords7793 made the suggestion for Old Bay wings, but I know I sat on them for at least a year. This is such a simple concept that I could have made it a mini bye week for my recipes, but I let the suggestion marinate until I felt inspired to create something truly unique.

And that’s how we ended up at Bay-Eyed Suzies. This recipe doesn’t just contain the Old Bay chords7793 discarded, but ingredients prominently featured in the famous Baltimore drink. the Black-eyed Susan. Marinade and a strategic fat shield result in moist meat that falls off the bone and crispy skin. The flavors are subtle but borderline addictive.

Note: The main instructions are for the air fryer, but this should translate well to other cooking methods.

Suzy Wings with brown eyes

Serves: 1 -2
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 4-12 hours (max represents overnight marinade)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of vodka
2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons of orange juice
5 teaspoons pineapple juice
¹⁄₂ tsp + 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, divided (I used the Blackened variety)
1-1.5 kg chicken wings

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 more teaspoon Old Bay

You need: Air fryer, mixing bowls, airtight container for overnight cooling, tongs

1. Make marinade: Combine vodka, hot sauce, orange juice, pineapple juice, and 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay in mixing bowl.
2. Place wings into airtight containers, add the marinade, shake to coat and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (I did it overnight). Toss or turn occasionally.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 390ºF; combine melted butter and 1 teaspoon Old Bay in mixing bowl; add wings to bowl and coat thoroughly.
4. Add wings in a single layer to the air fryer, turning them with tongs about every 8-10 minutes.
5. Cook until desired crispiness and safe internal temperature, about 25-30 minutes total.

Wingin’ It Tips and Prep Gallery

Old Bay, like many things regional, is achieving cult status among its fans. Hopefully this will at least earn me an honorary membership. There really isn’t much in the way of tips this week, because the recipe is about as quick and easy as it gets (outside of the marinade process).

Let’s talk about food photography instead. Why? Sometimes I’m not completely satisfied with my photos (pretty much every citizen) and if you’re not either, maybe knowing some of the barriers can give you a little grace.

Let’s talk about lighting and fat. The two photos are the exact same wings without any handling outside “I took a photo inside and then raced outside very quickly to take more photos.” I’m a big fan of natural light for food. Notice how the entire wing is browner in the exterior shot? The textures come out better in my opinion, the drink has a more natural orange hue. I could go on. This is why you sometimes see snow in the background of later season Wingin’ It editions. I go barefoot in the snow for a minute because the lighting is so much better.

On the other hand, notice how the interior image shimmers in places. I took a few more photos and immediately went outside to take more photos. When checking the time stamps on the photos there was a one minute difference between the first indoor and the first outdoor match. That’s how quickly the grease can soak into your food and make it look dry. Now you know why I hate hamburger pictures.

One final talking point: the amount of liquid in this marinade is intentionally kept low for several reasons. First and foremost is taste. It’s hard to tell that fruit juice is even used in the recipe when you eat the finished product. Second, pineapple juice contains an enzyme that tenderizes meat. These fell off the bone – but if allowed to percolate unchecked it could result in a mushy mouthfeel and texture. The low amount of liquid also means that these won’t be remotely spicy even with the hot sauce added, if you’re not a fan of heat.