Spicy Chicken Wings

Spicy Chicken Wings... Well, the other day, I had a craving for chicken wings. You see, I absolutely love chicken wings...I can actually eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I know that may sound strange to most of you, especially coming from a girl. Chicken wings are more of a guy thing.... I guess I have the excuse that I grew up with 2 older brothers and 2 younger brothers. I didn't mind... because I had a great deal of fun! Eating chicken wings just brings on a casual and a more relaxed atmosphere... especially if you eat them with a group that enjoys them just as much as you do. I mean it wouldn't exactly be the same if you ate these with people who didn't like them as much as you ...it just wouldn't. I know they can be quite messy and not a girlie thing to eat.But, I love them...and my sweet husband has slowly adapted to eating them with me, because he knows how much I love them. Just be sure you have plenty of napkins. Anyway, back to the recipe:)...
I usually season my wings with salt, pepper and some other seasonings that I have in the pantry. But, this time I chose to brine them. I think that I used a tad bit too much salt so I am adjusting the salt amount in the recipe. Please feel free to omit the brining solution, but I like brining. I noticed, in order to get the chicken pieces well browned, you must not overcrowd them. The parchment paper helps tremendously...I recommend it! You can turn the chicken pieces quite easily without having the skin stick to the pan. Also, you can use any hot sauce you like. Try changing the flavor by using a honey/bbq flavored sauce....really, you can actually use any sauce/flavors you want. Once, my brother and sister-in-law took us out to a wings restaurant and they had a TON of flavors! So, be creative...The classic, spicy hot sauce has margarine added to it. I never use margarine...I suppose you can use butter, But, I prefer to limit the calories and skip it all together. Plus, the chicken wings are normally fried and my version are baked. I loved them...
You will need:
25-30 chicken wings
Brine: can be omitted... just season each chicken piece with a bit of salt
6-8 cups water

3-4 TBS kosher salt

1 TBS onion powder

Marinade:

1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed

4 TBS oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Spicy sauce:

1 cup Frank's Hot sauce

1/2 stick butter, melted (optional)

Sides:

Celery

Bleu cheese dressing

In a large bowl make brine by mixing all ingredients together until salt dissolves. Set aside. Wash and clean wings...cut off small wing tips if needed. Place in a large bowl.

Pour brine over the wings making sure that they all fully immersed in liquid.

Cover. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. I left mine overnight. Drain. Pat dry. Make marinade by placing all the ingredients in a food processor .

Apply all over the wings.

Take out a jelly roll pan and place a piece of parchment paper. Lay chicken wings being careful not to overcrowd. You want them to brown evenly and not boil and steam. If need be use 2 pans. Place in a preheated 425 deg oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Turn once and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until nicely crisp and browned. Just check them.

Place the hot wings in a large bowl and pour the hot sauce over them. Mix to fully glaze each piece. Serve with celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing and plenty of napkins.