Spicy Chicken Wings

Recipe adapted from chef Michael Symon

Ingredients

- 10 pounds chicken wings, split
- 1/4 cup coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup Sriracha chile sauce (found in int'l section or asian markets)
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- Finely grated zest and juice of 3 limes
- 3 quarts vegetable oil, for frying*

*Frying your wings is optional. I've tried them both ways (frying and roasting). I thought roasting the wings in the oven yielded the same flavor and texture.

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, and skip steps 4 and 5)
3. Wash out the bowl. Add the Sriracha, butter, cilantro, lime zest and juice.
4. In a deep fryer, heat the vegetable oil to 375°.
5. 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.
6. Transfer the wings to a platter, leaving the sauce in the bowl for the remaining batches. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve!