ALSO CALLED HOT WINGS, these feature on many American bar menus, as they are excellent firce- food to be enjoyed with a cold beer. The crispy wings have a fiery kick from a liberal coating of hot sauce, so they are usually served with a contrasting and cooling soured cream or blue cheese dip and a handle. of celery sticks.

SERVES 4-5

3-4 tbsp plain flour 1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste sea salt
10 chicken wings 50g unsalted butter 4 tbsp hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red-Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce)
1A tsp black pepper 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely crushed vegetable or groundnut oil, for deep-frying lemon wedges, to serve

Sour cream and chive dip:

150ml soured cream 3-4 tbsp mayonnaise handful of chives, finely chopped sea salt and black pepper 1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and a large pinch of salt. Put the chicken wings into a large bowl. Sprinkle the spiced flour mixture over them and toss well until evenly coated, then cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

Meanwhile, put the butter, hot sauce, pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt into a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir together and heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is well blended. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, for the dip, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, adding salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Cover and chill until you are ready to cook the chicken wings.

Heat a 6-7cm depth of oil in a deep-fryer or a heavy-based deep pan to 180°C; a piece of bread dropped into the hot oil should sizzle on contact. Deep-fry the coated chicken wings in batches for 10-15 minutes, or until they begin to brown and crispen, turning them over halfway. Drain on a tray lined with kitchen paper and keep warm while you fry the rest.

Put the crispy wings into a large bowl, pour over the hot sauce mixture and stir until well coated.

Immediately arrange the buffalo wings on a warm platter or in individual bowls and serve with lemon wedges and the sour cream and chive dip.