Spicy Sriracha Chicken Wings

• Recipe by Michael Symon

These crispy chicken wings get their heat from Sriracha, the Thai hot sauce that chef Michael Symon says is his favorite in the world. “We always have a couple of extra bottles at home, because my stepson blows right through the stuff.”

Ingredients

1. 10 pounds chicken wings, split
2. 1/4 cup coriander seeds, crushed
3. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
5. 2 tablespoons kosher salt
6. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7. 3/4 cup Sriracha chile sauce
8. 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
9. 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
10. Finely grated zest and juice of 3 limes
11. 3 quarts vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

1. In a very large bowl, toss the wings with the coriander and cumin seeds, cinnamon, kosher salt and olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the wings on 3 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for about 30 minutes, until firm but not cooked through. (At this point, if you don't want to fry the wings, you can roast them for 1 hour longer, until crispy and golden.) Wash out the bowl. Add the Sriracha, butter, cilantro, lime zest and juice.
3. In a deep fryer or a very large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil to 375°.
4. Fry the wings in 4 or 5 batches until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch; drain, shaking off the excess oil. As each batch is finished, add the wings to the sauce and toss well. Transfer the wings to a platter, leaving the sauce in the bowl for the remaining batches. Serve hot.

Notes

Spicy food generally goes best with crisp lager beer. Symon's favorite comes from Great Lakes Brewing Company: the Dortmunder Gold Lager.