Hot Wings with Blue Cheese-Yogurt Sauce

INGREDIENTS

For the Blue Cheese Sauce:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely grated red onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Hot Wings:

• Peanut oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds chicken wings split at the joint, wing tips removed and discarded
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons pureed chipotle chile in adobo
• 1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 stick unsalted butter, quartered
• Finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Jicama sticks (instead of celery)

DIRECTIONS

For the Blue Cheese Sauce:

Stir together the yogurt, blue cheese, red onion, cilantro and salt and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

For the Hot Wings:

Heat 2-inches of the oil in a large, high-sided pan until it reaches 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.

Stir together the flour, salt, pepper, to taste, 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Season the wings with salt and pepper and add the wings in batches to the flour mixture to lightly coat and tap off excess flour. Add the wings in batches and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Bring the vinegar, chipotle puree, 2 tablespoons chili powder and New Mexico chili powder to a simmer in a large high-sided saute pan over medium heat. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the mustard, salt, honey, and butter until smooth. Add the wings to the mixture and toss to coat. Garnish with cilantro and serve with jicama sticks and blue cheese sauce.

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