I asked for advice from many people and did a lot of internet research to find out how to make my chicken wings super crunchy. And let me tell you, there is a lot of information out there! Overall, it seems to boil down to three main aspects:

1. Removing moisture from the wings prior to cooking
2. Using some kind of baking powder in the dry rub
3. Roasting over a rack in a very hot oven
So, here is my version of crispy wings, using these three key elements. I used 1.5kg wings per batch, with the tip removed and cut into two.

1. First I cut, trimmed and dried the wings and then placed them on a tray, uncovered, in the fridge. I didn’t have enough time to dry the wings overnight but I did manage about 6 hours which definitely made a difference to the texture of the wings.
2. Next, I rubbed them with a mixture of 1 heaped tablespoon of baking powder (not baking soda/bicarb soda) mixed with 1 heaped tablespoon of smoked paprika.
3. They were then spread out on a rack over a baking tray and went into an oven preheated to 220C, for about 20 minutes. I turned them once while cooking, but this may not have been necessary.

The end result was fantastic – they were crispy outside, and tender and juicy inside. Plus the smoked paprika was delicious and really worked beautifully with the simplicity of the aioli as a dip. Easy as!

Do you have any great tips to making your wings super crispy?

Liv Mackay is regular blogger for the MasterChef Food Hub and at scoffandquaff.me