Fresh chicken wings (about 1 1/4 lbs. per person)
At least 12 oz. hot sauce (we use Durkee's red hot)
Cayenne (red) pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Unsalted butter
A "Fry Baby" or "Fry Daddy" (a deep pot on the stove will work, but not as well)
Enough vegetable oil to reach fryer "fill" line
Celery stalks, washed & trimmed
1 wedge of blue cheese
1 qt. plain yogurt (try the kind with the cream on top)
3/4 qt. mayonnaise
BLUE CHEESE SAUCE: The blue cheese sauce is best when made a day in advance and aged in the refrigerator. Pour most of your yogurt into a mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise until mixture is still slightly tangy, but not overpowered by the mayonnaise (usually about a 60:40 yogurt:mayonnaise mix). Reserved yogurt can be added if you have gone too heavy with the mayo. Stir out all the mayo lumps, then crumble in the blue cheese and blend thoroughly. Refrigerate.
WINGS: Chicken wings should be prepared 1 to 3 hours before cooking. By letting them air dry you reduce spattering and make them more crispy. From each wing, cut off the wing tip at the joint and separate the humerus from the radius-ulna section at the other joint. Don't cut through the cartilage, but cleanly through the joint between the ends of the bones. This is easier than it sounds. Discard wing tips and lay edible pieces in a single layer on paper towels to dry.
HOT SAUCE: Melt 1 stick of the unsalted butter. Pour in the bottle of hot sauce and blend. Add 5 or 6 shakes each of onion and garlic powders. Cayenne is the fuel that makes these wings spicy. For mild wings add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne. Real Centaurs will want to add cayenne generously. Go easy on your first batch though; it is simple to add more if they are not hot enough. Hot sauce should be kept warm while the wings are cooking, but should not boil or even simmer.
COOKING: Heat vegetable oil in fryer per fryer manufacturer's directions. Cook 8 to 12 wings in a batch, depending on the size of your fryer. Gently lower wings into the hot oil with a slotted spoon to avoid splashing if your fryer has no basket. After they have cooked for about 15 seconds, stir to separate. Wings are done when the frying noise has abated somewhat and they are floating. Remove wings with basket or slotted spoon and shake off excess oil
Transfer immediately to a plate with a folded paper towel on it. They should cool for a few seconds (usually enough time to put in another batch), before you dump them in the hot sauce mixture. Stir the hot sauce before adding each batch of cooked wings to blend ingredients that will have separated. Coat thoroughly, then remove each wing from the hot sauce with tongs and shake off excess. Serve immediately.
If you have more wings than you can eat, cook them all because they will not keep. Besides, cold Buffalo wings are delicious, too, but don't try to reheat.
Serve wings with blue cheese sauce in a small, personal dish and plenty of celery. The blue cheese is for dipping celery and wings. Don't forget the napkins.
