Want a great buffalo wing? Moisture is the enemy

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According to the lore, Teressa Bellissimo was just trying to satisfy her hungry son and his friends. So on that 1964 night in Buffalo, N.Y., she tossed leftover chicken parts into the fryer at Anchor Bar, then doused them with hot sauce.

More than four decades later, the buffalo wing has become an American culinary icon.

But those years haven't always been kind. All manner of over-fried and stale-tasting frozen fowl limbs get passed off as the real deal. Some are so bad they are almost an insult to the beer and football they pair so nicely with.

"People are like, 'Oh, it doesn't matter. They are just chicken wings,'" and they buy bad chicken, says Food Network Iron Chef Michael Symon.

But bad chicken will produce bad chicken wings, no matter how good of a cook you are, he says.

Ready to forego a takeout run this year? Here is what you need to know.

THE CHICKEN

The flavor of the chicken is central to the perfect wing, so avoid the grocer's freezer case. Frozen poultry retains moisture, and moisture produces soggy, overcooked fried food.

"You want fresh wings, not frozen, because it affects taste," says Ivano Toscani, who has served as general manager of Anchor Bar for 35 years. "Fresh wings don't produce as much water."

And if you can, pony up for the good stuff. Most national and private label brands will work fine, but free-range and organic birds often sport more tender meat. And that produces a better wing.

All too often, the skin becomes rubbery, instead of crisp, says Symon. The reason? The skin is filled with water, which steams the bird instead of frying it when it hits the hot oil.

The fix isn't quick, but it is easy. Coating the wings with kosher salt overnight draws out some of this moisture. It also helps tenderize the meat and is a good chance to flavor the chicken by adding seasonings to the salt, says Symon.

THE FRYING

The right oil and temperature will create the right balance of crispy skin and tender meat.