Buffalo chicken drumsticks with blue cheese creamed spinach

As is the case with many couples, my husband and I became somewhat less social once our daughter arrived. One of the lesser-known consequences of that is a marked reduction in opportunities to consume buffalo wings. And it is probably not a good idea to pull out the fryer and make them for the two of us, since I will be compelled to make a lot to it worth my while, which we will then polish off. So, I came up with a somewhat more practical delivery system for buffalo sauce.

Meatier legs and spinach turn a snack into a meal

Legs are cheaper than wings and have a higher meat to skin ratio, so they don’t come out quite as spicy, which works well on a weeknight when we are unlikely to be washing down the spiciness with pints of beer. Creaming spinach with blue cheese provides the balance usually achieved with a dip with a vegetable more satisfying than a few sticks of carrots and celery. Blue cheese isn’t always cheap, but it has a relatively long shelf life, so I try to pick some up whenever I see a great deal so I can be ready for a craving. Same goes for feta and other crumbled cheeses. Everything else here is relatively inexpensive as a matter of course. Well, except the peanut oil. You don’t have to use peanut oil. Canola will work. Peanut has the lightest and cleanest tasting result, but the main concern is that it will stand up to the heat without smoking.

Set your chicken up with some flavor

Since the legs are meatier, it is a good idea to get some flavor into the meat, since not every bite will have a ton of crispy skin attached. I used a “buttermilk brine” with I learned from America’s Test Kitchen’s investigation into southern fried chicken.

For my five drumsticks, I dissolved a tablespoon of sugar and two tablespoons of table salt into two cups of buttermilk. And you don’t need to go out and buy buttermilk, although it is usually cheap if you also have plans to make pancakes, biscuits, etc. in the near future. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup for each cup of buttermilk you want. While stirring, top it up to the desired volume with low fat milk and let it sit for a few minutes to thicken.

Cover and let the chicken brine, refrigerated, for about two hours. Remove the drumsticks from the solution and let the excess drip off.

In a medium bowl, mix 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon cayenne (or more if you want it spicier), ¼ teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture, and refrigerate, covered for an hour to an hour and a half, tossing a few times to make sure they are evenly coated and not sticking together.

Heat about an inch of oil in a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet or dutch oven. You want the oil to reach 375°.

Shake the excess flour from the chicken.

Once the oil is sufficiently hot, place the chicken in the pan. If you are not using a high-sided dutch oven, a splatter screen will come in handy here. You want your oil to stay at at least 325°.

You may have noticed that one of my legs disappeared somewhere between brining and frying. I actually cooked one separately for my daughter, who would not be interested in buffalo sauce.

After about 10 minutes, carefully turn the chicken to fry on the other side. It will be cooked after approximately another 10 minutes, but check periodically to make sure it is browning all over and shift it around as needed.

Now is a good time to start the spinach. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and melt a tablespoon of butter. Add a finely chopped small yellow onion and saute until it is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add two cloves of minced garlic and saute another 30 seconds until fragrant.

Start adding 8 ounces of spinach by the handful, stirring until it is all incorporated.

Cook until it is all wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pan and set aside. Add ½ cup heavy cream and bring to a boil, letting it reduce a bit.

At this point, it may be time to take the chicken out to drain on paper towels for a few minutes.

You can also put a medium bowl with 3 tablespoons of butter into the microwave to melt.

When it comes out, add an equal amount of your hot sauce of choice, and 1/8 teaspoon each of garlic powder and black pepper.

Stir it!

Add the spinach to the reduced cream, cooking until the sauce is at your desired consistency and the spinach is heated through.

Toss the chicken in the sauce.

Add about 3 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese to the spinach and stir until it melts a bit. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the spinach among plates, top with chicken, and sprinkle with a bit more blue cheese.