MENU DESCRIPTION: “Breaded chicken breast tossed in spicy wing sauce. Served with cool bleu cheese dressing.” This clone gives us the zesty flavor of traditional Buffalo chicken wings, but the bones and skin are left back in Buffalo. That’s because these “wings” are actually nuggets sliced from chicken breast fillets, then breaded and fried, and smothered with the same type of spicy wing sauce used on traditional wings. If you like the flavor of Buffalo wings, but wish you could use a fork, your spicy dreams have come true. Serve up these puppies with some celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing on the side for dipping.

SERVES 2 TO 4 AS AN APPETIZER.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets
• 6 to 10 cups vegetable or canola oil (amount required by your fryer)
• ¼ cup Frank’s or Crystal hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon margarine

ON THE SIDE:

• bleu cheese dressing (for dipping)
• celery sticks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine flour, salt, peppers, and paprika in a medium bowl.
2. In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
3. Slice each chicken breast into 6 pieces. Preheat 6 to 10 cups of vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
4. One or two at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the breading blend; then repeat the process so that each piece of chicken is double-coated.
5. When all chicken pieces have been breaded, arrange them on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
6. When the chicken is done resting, drop each piece into the hot oil and fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until breading is golden brown.
7. As chicken fries, combine the hot sauce and margarine in a small bowl. Microwave sauce for 20 to 30 seconds or just until the margarine is melted, then stir to combine. You can also use a small saucepan for this step. Just combine the hot sauce and margarine in the saucepan over low heat and stir until margarine is melted and ingredients are blended.
8. When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a plate lined with a couple of paper towels.
9. Place the chicken pieces into a covered container such as a Tupperware bowl or large jar with a lid. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the container, cover, and then shake gently until each piece of chicken is coated with sauce. Pour the chicken onto a plate and serve the dish with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side.