Gordon Ramsay Doesn't Season His Wings, According To TikTok

There is really nothing quite as delicious as crispy chicken wings. Sauced or dry, a multitude of cultures have delectable versions. Gordon Ramsay also threw his hat in the ring with a version of his own, and folks are shocked by the absolute lack of seasoning.

He starts by cutting drumettes into lollipops using a technique called frenching where he trims the skin at the base, nudges the meat to the end to create an easy-to-eat ball of chicken, and then lops off the very tip of the bone, presumably for presentation. So far, so good — chicken lollipops are a delightful preparation that originated in India and are now commonly prepared across Asia.

@gordonramsayofficial

Let's make some #Spicy #ChickenWing Lollipops ! #tiktokcooks

♬ original sound – Gordon Ramsay

This is where things start to go wrong. He dusts them in flour and then adds the smallest possible sprinkle of salt. A minuscule smattering. The tiniest taste. The fact that he put so little salt is an issue in itself, but adding it on top of the layer of flour pretty much guarantees that almost none of it will actually adhere to the wing.

After frying, the lollipops get dunked in a sauce made with butter, sriracha, soy sauce, mirin, honey, ginger, garlic, and a bit of salt. He then rolls the dipped wings in tons of sesame seeds, which may be excessive for some but just right for sesame lovers. The sauce appears to be sticky, flavorful, and well-seasoned, as it is loaded with punchy ingredients, aromatics, pleasant heat, and salt in a couple of different forms. But professional chef Gordon Ramsay should know that a properly salted sauce cannot make up for failing to season a dish well from the get-go. Totally bland chicken underneath that glaze means that there is no way that these wings will taste as good as they could.

Seasoning at each step of the way is called layering, and without doing this, a dish will always fall flat. This is why you heavily salt your pasta water, use anchovy paste or fillets in your tomato sauce, and finish your dish with freshly grated parmesan — using different types of salt at each step of cooking makes for a well-rounded dish. Introducing salt in just the sauce of these wings is like cooking a piece of steak with no salt and then expecting a dollop of salted compound butter to do the heavy lifting of seasoning the whole dish.

The best way to impart flavor directly into the meat of the chicken wings is to salt them ahead of time. Not only does salt impart flavor, but it also improves the texture by softening the protein strands. This means that the meat holds onto more moisture as it cooks which equals a juicier bite. You can salt the wings up to a day in advance using about a teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken. Also, letting them sit uncovered in the fridge after salting allows the skin to dry out some, which means they get crispier when frying.

The flour dredge is another opportunity to layer in flavor. Instead of just using plain flour like Gordon Ramsay does, mix in salt and seasonings such as garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black or white pepper, or ground mustard. Dunk your fried wings in Ramsay's Asian-inspired sauce, or take things in another direction with something like these tamarind and dark beer-glazed wings.