Throwdown: Hot wings on the menu for hungry anglers

 Throwdown: Hot wing cook off
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The Virginian-Pilot

Throwdown no. 2 in February hadn't gone well. A venison cooking- and eat-athon on the Eastern Shore was my second straight loss.

The vultures started circling soon after the final decision was rendered.

The office phone rang in what seemed like a few hours with another challenge.

"You do hot wings?" Rick Williams of Catchin' for Kids wanted to know.

He was looking to have some fun at the Anglers Club Challenge, a fishing tournament that pits teams from local fishing clubs against each other for bragging rights and collects toys for needy kids.

The tournament was months away, but he was looking for a patsy to pit his version of hot wings against.

The story and video for the second throwdown had just come out, and Williams pounced in a kick-a-man-when-he's-down fashion.

"Sure do," I responded confidently, knowing exactly what he was hinting at. "Why? You challenging me to a cook-off?"

The setup was that easy. He had tossed a baited hook, and I had gone for it.

Throwdown No. 3 took place Saturday at Little Creek's Bay Point Marina in Norfolk - Williams and me, cook vs. cook, chicken wing against chicken wing.

"It's a win-win for us," Williams said when I arrived with PilotOnline.com videographers Olivia Hubert-Allen and Brian Clark. "You guys are here to help us get the word out about the tournament and the work we do for the kids."

That's what he thought.

I was there to document my first victory. At least, that's what I thought.

Williams has been chillin' and grillin' at fishing tournaments for years. This wasn't his first time cooking wings.

And our styles couldn't be more different.

Williams marinates his wings before grilling them - tossing on his vinegar-based sauce and a little seasoning once they're over the coals.

My wings are more traditional - deep-fried dunked in hot sauce that is blended with vinegar, red pepper flakes and a few other items to set them apart. Instead of using butter to get the sauce to stick to the wings, I use peanut butter. A dash of garlic adds some oomph, and a few squirts of chocolate sauce bring it all together.

Kind of a peanut butter cup hot wing sauce.

By Saturday, my sauce had been simmering on the stove for hours and had met the approval of several hungry neighbors.

Confidence waned quickly, however, when I snuck a few of Williams' wings off the grill and gave them a taste.

Wow! A hint of lemon pepper and a nice flush of heat. Not sloppy like traditional wings and darned good.

Finally, the moment of truth arrived. Williams assembled captains from each angling club team as judges and arranged for marina manager Brian Baker to tabulate the voting and make the big announcement.

I begged the judges not to be influenced by the fact that, as The Pilot's outdoor reporter, I cover their clubs and members.

They weren't.

By a vote of 5-2, I went down for the third straight time. Thanks to the two captains who voted for me.

Funny thing, though, about this contest:

When the tournament anglers were going through the chow line, I noticed that my wings were disappearing fast, while Williams' were floundering in their pan.

Lee Tolliver, (757) 222-5844, lee.tolliver@pilotonline.com

See Also: Lee's Venison and Rockfish Throwdowns.

Hot Wing Recipes

Rick Williams’ Secret Wings
Makes 50 pounds of wings

50 pounds chicken wings
2 gallons vinegar
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1 cup liquid smoke
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup cayenne pepper
1/2 cup crushed pepper
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 cup black pepper
1 cup lemon juice
Shot of ketchup for added red color
(For cooking the wings: Montreal Steak seasoning to taste)

Soak wings in brine (see note) for three hours, rinse and dry.

Meanwhile, combine all sauce ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for 30 minutes.

Place chicken wings in 1 gallon of sauce and marinate for several hours.

Put wings on grill and douse with sauce. Sprinkle with Montreal Steak seasoning. Cook until done.

Note  A brine is a salt water mixture often flavored with other spices.

Source: Rick Williams

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Lee Tolliver’s Deep-Fried Peanut Butter Cup Hot Wings
Makes 30 pounds of wings

1 gallon of Frank’s RedHot sauce
2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 cup chocolate sauce
½ cup garlic powder
4 cups vinegar
Red pepper flakes to taste
30 pounds chicken wings

Mix all sauce ingredients in a big pot or dutch oven and cook over low heat for at least eight hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Deep fry the wings and let them swim in the sauce.

Note:  Lee likes to wing it – pardon the pun – with most recipes. So feel free to play with the ingredients to get the taste to your liking. Lee likes his sauce plenty hot. To increase the heat level, add more red pepper flakes and cook longer to bring out the oil from the seeds.

Source: Lee Tolliver