**SPECIAL FEATURE** Hot n’ Honey Wingsgiving by Cousin Alex Hayden | Blue Bell, PA | Invite Only
Overall Rating: ++++ (4.25 / 5.0)
This posting is a special feature, as I had the absolute honor of consuming my cousin’s special Hot n’ Honey wings for Thanksgiving and yes, they were most certainly blog-worthy.
A few years back, Alex has introduced me to the world of the regionally popular, Philadelphia-famous, hot n’ honey style of wings at the Bridgeport Rib House. Naturally, I fell in love with this sauce and don’t typically find anything close elsewhere. Since then, Alex has mastered this craft with his own hot n’ honey formula and process steps, making Thanksgiving 2017 the year he absolutely nailed it.
Starting by bringing his sauce to a healthy simmer and applying a double-coating of flour, the wings are fried with a table-top fryer, sauced liberally by brush, and broiled within a very temperamental time frame. The quick broiling perfectly caramelizes the sauce to the skin, giving it a sweet and crunchy texture while also adding a bit of smokey char. This was by far my favorite part of the experience. The skin was like candy.
The sauce was absolutely beautiful; I’m drooling as I type. A true hot n’ honey where there was just enough heat and the honey flavor actually shined through, which is somewhat difficult to do successfully. The meat was piping-hot and juicy, almost to a fall-off-the-bone consistency. I personally enjoy chicken a little “well-done” but this can be difficult to accomplish without compromising the other textures and flavors. This is also a personal preference I don’t share with many others.
Well done, Alex. Well. Done. If any readers ever have the honor of being invited to my family’s Thanksgiving celebration, these wings will be ready and waiting for you.
