Alton Brown Cooks Food | Episode 35: Fry Some Air

Here is a detailed breakdown of Alton Brown’s video regarding chicken wings and air frying:

Introduction & The Problem with Air Fryers

[00:00] Alton Brown discusses chicken wings, considering them a unique and perfect food because of their balance of crispy skin, juicy meat, and satisfying carnivorous experience.

[00:33] He reveals he used an air fryer to cook the wings, despite being famously known for hating air fryers [00:43].

[00:50] His main objection is semantic and functional: by definition, frying means cooking in hot fat or oil, so relying solely on the convective flow of hot air does not constitut

e true frying [01:00]. However, due to their massive popularity, he decides to test them out [01:12].

Preparation and The "Powder" Secret

[01:34] Because air fryers are comparably inefficient for browning, proper preparation is essential to get crispy, golden-brown wings using just hot air movement.

[01:50] He introduces a special seasoning powder designed to add flavor and physically prime the skin for rapid browning. The blend includes:

Salt [02:22]

Baking powder (emphasizing not baking soda) [02:24]

Ground cayenne pepper [02:28]

Garlic powder [02:30]

Smoke powder [02:33]

[10:11] After tossing the wings i

n the mixture, he places them on a wire rack over a quarter sheet pan and puts them uncovered in the lowest part of the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (ideally overnight or up to two days) to thoroughly dry out the skin [10:20].

Anatomy and Butchery of the Wing

[04:30] Alton breaks down the three parts of the wing:

The Drumette: Resembles a miniature chicken leg, containing the humerus bone and a good amount of meat [04:39].

The Wingette (Flat): Contains the radius and ulna bones [04:58].

The Tip: Full of small bones and cartilage; while not eaten directly, he saves and freezes them for use in stock pots

due to their high collagen content [05:05].

[06:08] Instead of using a knife and a cutting board, he prefers using kitchen shears with micro-serrations to cut cleanly through the joints without making a mess [06:35].

The Buffalo Sauce Recipe

[11:12] He prepares a traditional butter-based, capsaicin-forward sauce inspired by Buffalo traditions and historical recipes [11:20].

[12:04] In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, he combines:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) of cubed unsalted butter [12:04]

2 oz of favorite hot sauce (such as Frank's) [12:17]

1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar [12:28]

1 teaspoon dark bro

wn sugar [12:33]

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper [12:34]

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce [12:40]

1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder [12:42]

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt [12:45]

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (acting as an emulsifying agent to keep the butter and water combined) [12:48]

[12:57] He whisks the mixture until smooth, lets it cool slightly, and notes that it can be stored and used like a compound butter.

Testing Commercial Air Fryers

[14:20] Alton tests two distinct machines using a standard 9-minute cook time at each machine's maximum temperature with prepped wings:

Cosori TurboBlaze 6-Quart 9-in-1 Air Fryer:

A drawer model boasting a 3,600 RPM fan speed and a 450°F top temperature [14:27].

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro: A convection oven style appliance with a 480°F top temperature, which costs significantly more but offers many more functions [15:12].

[18:47] After cooking, he notes that both machines produced decent, reasonably crispy wings, but points out their limitations: they do not get hot enough and lack a mechanism to move or tumble the wings for completely even browning [18:54].

Building a Custom Solution: "Toothless"

[19:42] Dissatisfied with standard commercial offerings, Alton introduces his ow

n experimental contraption nicknamed "Toothless" [20:22].

[19:48] The custom build features four heavy-duty Wagner heat guns blowing into a repurposed 24-quart soup pot enclosure housing a sealed pasta insert/steamer basket mounted to a motor-driven drive shaft [19:51].

[20:42] He loads the wings into the rotating basket, activates the heat guns on a moderate setting for 12 minutes, and successfully achieves evenly browned, perfectly cooked wings that surpass the commercial air fryers [21:06].

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC11-UGlMho

Alton Brown Cooks Food | Episode 35: Fry Some Air

Alton Brown · 349K vie