1.25 billion. That's how many chicken wings are expected to be eaten Sunday during the Super Bowl. More than 100 million pounds. They'll be deep-fried, baked and grilled. Sauced the standard Buffalo way or in garlic, lemon pepper, honey mustard…the list goes on and on. But out of the thousands of ways that football fans will scarf them down this weekend, none are as unique and bizarre as the five craziest we've discovered. One of them even takes the cake -- literally.
Cranberry Barbecued Chicken Wings
This next entry is a recipe solution looking for a problem. On the surface it almost seems like a good idea. Turkey and cranberry sauce is a classic combination, but the wobbly, canned stuff has about as much appeal as watching the Pro Bowl. So why anyone would want to coat perfectly good chicken wings with this Thanksgiving reject is anyone’s guess. Still, it certainly qualifies as crazy, which is why it made our list. The truly brave can try out the recipe here.
Ghost Wings
The list of the craziest wings out there has to include at least one that is off-the-charts spicy, and this one jumps right off the Scoville scale. The Girvan Grille in Minneapolis, Minn. tosses their Ghost Wings in a sauce that include several chiles, including one of the world’s hottest -- the bhut jolokia. Also known as the ghost pepper, the bhut jolokia is several times hotter than the feared habanero. These wings are so hot that anyone daring enough to try them has to sign a waiver. Jim Malinowski, chef of the Girvan Grille and creator of the wings, has eaten more than a few.
"After you get the first one or two down, the endorphins kick in and you're on a chile plateau that you'll feel for about 24 hours," he says.
The restaurant has a contest challenging patrons to eat 10 of them in 15 minutes, but it's not for the faint of heart. Malinowski calls the contest "doable," but that's definitely a relative term. You won’t be able to make these for your Super Bowl party, but that's probably a good thing.
Buffalo Chicken Milkshake
The full story behind this frozen affront to taste buds comes to us from Robert Bishop, who writes Lunch Blog KC. What started out as a joke in an episode of NBC’s 30 Rock, was brought to life for a superfan round table.
The good news, if there is any, is that there is no actual meat ground up in the drink.
"I thought about pureeing the chicken into the shake, but I felt like that was taking things one step too far," Bishop said. "Everything probably worked out all for the best, though. I don't think you should be able to drink meat through a straw."
Neither do we.
Buffalo Chicken Super Bowl Cupcakes
"I decided to make them because everything deserves a shot at being a cupcake."
That's what Stefani Pollack of cupcakeproject.com gave as the reason behind her Buffalo Chicken Super Bowl Cupcakes. Whether you agree with that or not, you have to give her points
for creativity. The cupcakes themselves are made with hot sauce and blue cheese, then topped with a blue cheese buttercream frosting. The chicken wing garnish is a conversation starter and a nice touch to boot. Even though these sound beyond bizarre, Pollack swears they’re delicious.
"When I tasted the cupcakes hot out of the oven, I realized that I had created a new crowd-pleasing Super Bowl tradition," she says.
Try them here.
Crown Royal Wings
Bourbon wings? Been there. Honey-glazed? Old hat. Asian inspired? Done that. But what about a recipe that is a hybrid of all those and more? These Crown wings take some of the most popular flavors, and mixes them into one crazy concoction. In case you've got a deep pantry and a desire for something new, we've got the recipe for you.
1/3 cup Crown Royal Canadian whiskey
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Thai chili sauce
3/4 oz. stir-fry seasoning
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
4 pounds chicken wing drumettes
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1. In a large bowl, combine whisky, honey, soy sauce, chili sauce, stir-fry seasoning, and garlic. Add drumettes, tossing to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Set up grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking. Let drumettes stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place on hot, oiled grill. Cook for 12-to-18 minutes or until cooked through, turning occasionally. Transfer chicken to a platter. Sprinkle with chopped scallions and peanuts (optional).
Adam Watson is the food czar at ThePostGame. Follow him on Twitter.
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