Steps

1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Place the oil in a deep fryer and preheat to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a rack on it.
2. Cut the wing tips off of the chicken wings and discard. Cut each wing through the joint into two pieces and blot them dry with paper towels.
3. Working in small batches, deep fry the wings for about 3 minutes until they are no longer pink near the bone. Transfer each batch to the baking sheet and hold in the warm oven.
4. Combine the hot sauce and melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Dump the wings into the bowl with the sauce and toss until they are well coated. Serve on a platter with the celery and with the blue cheese dressing in a bowl on the side.

Notes

Sometimes the best dishes are born of necessity; that’s how one of North America’s best-loved snack foods was created. According to local legend, Buffalo wings were invented at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, in 1964. When some late-night customers asked for a quick snack, Teressa Bellisimo, owner of the bar, and its chief cook, decided to improvise.

Instead of using them for stock, she cut up some chicken wings and cooked them under the broiler. She spiced them up by basting them with butter and bottled hot sauce, then served them with celery sticks and their house salad dressing, which just happened to be blue cheese. The rest is history. Today Buffalo wings are deep-fried. But if you want less mess, you can make yours under the broiler, the way Teressa did all those years ago.