Baptist Church Fried Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• Oil, for deep frying
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons Creole spice (Essence), recipe follows
• 2 cups flour
• 1 pound chicken wings
• Potato salad, for serving
• Parsley sprigs, for garnish

Directions

In a deep fryer or high-sided skillet heat oil to 360 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine buttermilk, 1 tablespoon Creole spice and 1/2 cup flour; mix well to make a paste. Season remaining flour with remaining Creole spice. Dip wings, one at a time, into batter, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge in seasoned flour. Fry immediately in hot oil, 6 to 8 minutes, moving and turning pieces frequently with long tongs. Drain on paper towels. Do this in batches. If wings are large, remove with tongs, drain, transfer to a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degrees F until very crispy, about 10 minutes. Serve with potato salad garnished with parsley sprigs.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup