While Alton’s methods are always interesting, and often spot-on, my guess is that none of the supporters of the steam-and-bake technique actually performed a side-by-side test. When push came to shove, the three batches were virtually indistinguishable from each other.
Give The Wings a Rest
It was time to call in the big guns. Sure, it’d be nice if I could pick up a package of wings on game day and have them ready for dipping in blue cheese a few hours later. But wishing it ain’t gonna make it happen. As I discovered yet again, good results require careful thought, a bit of work, and plenty of time.
I decided to use a method that works wonders on whole birds and red-meat roasts alike: air-drying. Hopefully allowing the wings to dry on a rack overnight would dehydrate them enough that rapid browning could happen in the oven.
Special equipment
Rimmed baking sheet, wire cooling rack