Defining 'Hot Sauce'

[Jewel]

I'm interested in modifying a fried chicken recipe to an 'oven fried' recipe. It's from Emeril's cookbook, but it was featured on his show last night, which was a repeat from last summer taped at Universal Studios in Orlando. Anyway, it's called a 'Hot' fried chicken. He marinates whole chickens (I'm using pieces) in a cup of buttermilk and a cup of hot sauce, then dredges in seasoned flour, then adds another cup of buttermilk and another cup of hot sauce to the bowl, re-dips the chicken in the mixture, then it's back into the flour mixture a last time. He deep fries it, I'm going to oven fry.

But what is hot sauce? The 2 cups he used last night on the show obviously wasn't Tobasco, it was thicker. Was it Taco Sauce? It's not identified! The only other sauce I know of is like Franks Red Hot Sauce, and there's no way anyone could use a two cups of that in a chicken recipe!

If a recipe called for hot sauce what you interpret that to mean? I want this for dinner tonight! Thanks! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[beejayw1]

I suspect he used 'Durkee' hot sauce. It's a southern standard for cooking. Not as hot as tabasco, and a little thicker.

For the record, here's a recipe for Buffalo-style wings that isn't deep-fried and which tastes a lot better:

Sauce:
1 bottle Durkee hot sauce(about 1 C)
1 Tbs butter or margarine
1 TBS granulated sugar or honey
1 Tbs Worcestershire

Heat oven to 425.
On a nonstick baking sheet, spread a layer of flash-frozen chicken wings. Make sure they are not touching.

Bake 15 - 20 minutes. Turn and bake another 15 minutes (checking after 10 - if they are getting too brown, take them out).

Blot the hot wings, put them in a glass bowl and toss with the sauce till coated.

Serve with blue cheese dressing (lowfat, if you like) and celery sticks.

Good hot, cold, or left over.

Diana

[ebobbitt]

The only hot sauce I ever use is Louisiana Hot Sauce but I cannot imagine using a cup of that in a recipe. Do you think this is something that we've totally missed in our cooking escapades?
Elizabeth

[daner94]

I am thinking that it's a generic term. There are scores of brands of hot sauce. Tabasco being the most popular name.

Some are thinner, some are quite thick. Here at work we carry 12 different kinds of hot sauce-- we are in the South, after all!

Dana

[SandyM]

Hi Diana,

Your have me intrigued. As a former Buffalonian, and a Buffalo chicken wing afficianado, I'd like to know - are these wings crispy?

I'd probably omit the honey, but I'm really interested in trying these.

[carolyn.1]

Jewel, I would guess he means "Texas Pete" hotsauce. Is that available in your area? You can buy it here in 32 oz or larger bottles. It is mainly used for buffalo wings, pork BBQ. Anything that would use "pourable" hot sauce. It's very flavorable but not as hot as Tabasco.
Hope that helps.
Carolyn--

[beejayw1]

Hi, Sandy -

Actually, I got the recipe from my brother, another former Buffalonian who used to go the original bar that invented the wings.

Yep, they're crispy! I think it's a function of a very hot oven working on the flash-frozen wings. (You can, by the way, use fresh wings, but keep an eye on them as you bake 10 minutes on the first side, flip and bake another ten, and see if they look done). Do blot them well; wings have a lot of oil in the skin.

As to the sauce: sugar (just a little) helps the sauce to 'stick' to the wings, but it isn't necessary.

If you try these, let me know how you like them.

Diana

[SandyM]

Originally posted by beejayw1:
Hi, Sandy -

Actually, I got the recipe from my brother, another former Buffalonian who used to go the original bar that invented the wings.


Anchor Bar - I know it well!

Andrea - where are youuuuuuu???? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

I will definitely try these wings. Thanks so much for the recipe!!!

[Ralph]

Hi Jewel! Here's my take: I've made several of Emeril's recipes (and others) that call for "hot sauce." I personally use Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce if, for no other reason, because I like it best! (I also rarely measure exact amounts, but that's another story!) I've rarely seen Emeril use Tabasco or Frank's; I believe (because he's New Orleans-style) he uses some hard-to-find Louisiana hot sauce - Diana may be right about Durkee.

Looking closer at the recipe, I'm not convinced that much of it stays on the final product, though much of his cooking, particularly something like that, is quite spicy hot.

[Jewel]

Thanks everyone, and Ralph I know you're right, that 2 cups isn't going to end up being on the finished product. It just seemed like a LOT of hot sauce to use for a dish! I have a bottle of Tobasco in my fridge that's been there for a year, and we use a tsp here and there! But that's not sauce as much as it is juice it seems.

I had forgotten about Durkee, thanks beejayw1, I'll look for it at the store today. I have a really good Mexican hot sauce that I use for Mexican food (duh!) but even that is too hot to use more than a TBS at a time. I think since I'm modifying the recipe anyway, I'm just going to have to 'wing it' (bad pun!) on the sauce and see how it goes! Thanks again! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[slknight]

Actually, I would guess that he would mean his own hot sauce! He does have his own line of sauces, and under "hot sauces" on his website, he has two. We actually have the Kick It Up Red Pepper in our cabinet. My husband uses it frequently.




[This message has been edited by slknight (edited 06-19-2001).]

[carolyn.1]

Melissa, I'm sorry you can't get "texas pete" in your area.It is very flavorable isn't it? It really is in very much demand here, the space at the grocer store for the product is a pretty big area. Maybe when you come dowm this way you could buy a case. It is very inexpensive, with a long shelf life. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
Carolyn--

[Gail]

Just for the record, though you've probably made your recipe by now, I was at the bookstore today and remembered your question. After thumbing through several of Emeril's books, I finally found some sort of answer in the front of the TV Recipe book. The reason he doesn't get specific is because he's leaving it to your personal taste. His hot sauce of choice happens to be tabasco, but he mentions his assistant likes the Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce. So really, any and all answers you've gotten are "right" answers.

[MelissaAS]

carolyn.1-
I can't resist replying- I LOVE Texas Pete hot sauce but can't find it as readily up here in New England (I got addicted during college in NC). Durkee is my usual substitute. Go Pete!

Melissa