Pizza Today - July 2024 - 33

O
nce upon a time, chicken
wings were inexpensive due
to the nature of supply and
demand in American restaurants.
According to legend, this part of
the chicken was " undesirable " - and when
restaurants did use wings it was mostly to
create stock for soup.
Can you believe people used to
discard them? Talk about fowl!
Then a light bulb went off in Buffalo,
New York. The " aha " moment reportedly
was had by Teresa Bellissimo, co-owner of
an establishment called the Anchor Bar.
Rumor has it she needed to come up with
some late-night food quickly on the spot
and had plenty of wings sitting around in
the kitchen because, you know, no one cared
for them in 1964. She deep-fried them,
tossed them in a spicy cayenne pepper sauce
and the rest is history.
If you believe that version of history.
There are several other claims as well.
At the end of the day, in your pizzeria in
2024, does it matter who created the Buffalo
wing? Not really. What does matter,
however, is that they remain wildly popular
as an appetizer or entrée. And if you were in
business before and during COVID, then
you know a thing or two about the price
fluctuations and supply chain issues the
pandemic brought to an item that once was
no more than an afterthought.
(For what it's worth, in 1977 the City
of Buffalo recognized Bellissimo and the
Anchor Bar for putting Buffalo wings on
the map nationally).
What happened over the next
60 years with wings? An impressive
explosion of popularity. They've become a
de facto official food of parties and sporting
events, right along with pizza. Can you
imagine a Super Bowl viewing without
both pizza and wings?
Using my family of four as not-soscientific
proof on the micro level, Friday
night is " Pizza and Wings Night " in the
White House. We call our favorite local
indie pizzeria (actually, we order online if
you're keeping track at home) and our order
rarely changes: wings, breadsticks and two
large pizzas (the toppings do vary based
on mood). The pizzeria can count on that
order from me like clockwork every Friday
around 6:45 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. pickup.
Obviously, I'm not the only consumer
infatuated with wings. In fact, Americans
consume nearly 1.5 billion pounds of wings
during the Super Bowl weekend alone,
according to the National Chicken Council.
That's just one weekend of the year!
According to Datassential, 76 percent
of all restaurants in the United States offer
chicken wings on their menu. And the
National Chicken Council says 37 percent
of Americans say wings, not pizza, is their
favorite game-day food.
With demand surging and supply getting
cramped during the pandemic, restaurateurs
and diners alike felt the sting. From 2011
to 2021, wholesale wing prices spiked from
$1.50 per pound to over $3 per pound.
That's according to the National Chicken
Council, which also says demand for the
product hasn't just risen domestically, but
globally.
Thankfully, the shortage is over. On February
10, 2023, the Buffalo News published
a piece where the headline said it all: " The
Great Chicken Wing Shortage has ended.
The Great Chicken Wing price spike has
not. "
Rising prices are here to stay, which is
why operators must constantly evaluate
costs and price their menus accordingly.
What should not change, however, is your
dedication to having wings on the menu -
because consumers want them in a big way.
Wings are a dual-threat menu
item - they can be a starter or the
main course. And there are many ways
to prepare and serve them. Don't have a
fryer? No problem! Baked, grilled, smoked
... you get the point. Serve them with a
dry rub, a classic Buffalo sauce or with a
BBQ sauce to keep it simple. Don't limit
your creativity, however. Over the years a
wide array of flavors and sauces ranging
from Thai Peanut to Garlic Parmesan to
Raspberry Habanero have become popular.
Much like an open pizza skin waiting to
be dressed, think of the humble wing as a
blank canvas and do with it as you wish.
If you need a little inspiration to get
started, here are two of my favorites.
Bluegrass Bourbon Wings
5 pounds chicken wings
3 whole limes
½ cup Kentucky bourbon
¼ ounce fresh thyme
¾ ounces fresh rosemary
¾ ounces fresh oregano
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Crushed red pepper, pinch
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Vidalia onion
Quarter the limes and squeeze the juice
into a bowl.
Add the bourbon and mix together.
Add the lime-bourbon mixture to a food
processor along with the thyme, rosemary,
oregano, salt, crushed red pepper and olive
oil.
Process until smooth.
Add the marinade to the wings and marinate
in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Remove the wings from the marinade and
bake at 450 F until browned and cooked
through (20 to 30 minutes).
While the wings are cooking, roast the
Vidalia onion in a pan.
When the wings are finished, add to the
pan with the roasted onion and serve.
Raspberry Habanero Wings
5 habanero chilis, finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons hot honey
1 cup raspberries, finely chopped
Pour olive oil into a sauté pan over medium
heat.
Add the habanero chilis and cook until soft,
stirring occasionally. NOTE: use 2 to 3
peppers for less heat, 6 to 7 for more. It's
pretty spicy with five.
Add the balsamic vinegar, ginger and
honey.
Stir to combine well, then add the raspberries.
Continue
stirring until the raspberries are
broken down and simmering.
Turn heat to low and stir again.
Remove from the stove top and pour into a
mixing bowl.
Add cooked wings and toss to coat well.
Serve with blue cheese or Gorgonzola
crumbles.
JEREMY WHITE is Editor-In-Chief at
Pizza Today.
Pizza Today - July 2024

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