Tom Colicchio's Tips For Throwing A Great Super Bowl Party - Exclusive
Chef Tom Colicchio believes the key to throwing a great Super Bowl party is making sure you're not stuck in the kitchen all night instead of enjoying the big game with your friends and family.
"My recommendation for anybody doing it: Focus on some things that are easy that you're not messing around with at the last second," Tom Colicchio told Tasting Table in an exclusive interview.
To that end, try to prepare everything ahead of your guests' arrival. Be sure to have a few bites set out for everyone to enjoy during the first half. Then, have the full spread ready to go after the second quarter so all you'll have to do is uncover it and chow down.
"Try to time it where everything is ready [at the same time]," said Colicchio. "You want snacks around, but you want everything going out at halftime. I know Rihanna's performing this year — everybody wants to watch that, but that's a good time to get everything out there."
Here are Colicchio's tips for delicious game-day dishes all your guests will love.
The biggest mistake home cooks make with chicken wings
"I believe Americans consume about 1.5 billion chicken wings during the Super Bowl," Chef Tom Colicchio told us, "which is crazy when you think about it."
Through his new venture, Do Good Chicken, Colicchio just released his recipe for Sour Cherry BBQ Wings, a spicy-sweet take on the classic. The biggest mistake people make when making chicken wings at home, he says, is cooking them when they're too wet. He offered a few tips for Tasting Table readers to ensure their wings come out crispy and juicy for the big game.
"One of the most important things is if you're going to cook your wings in an oven to roast them," said Colicchio. "Make sure they're really dry." He recommends unpacking your wings and letting them sit uncovered in your refrigerator for up to a few days before cooking them.
Alternatively, he said, "You can pat them really, really well with a paper towel so they're dry. You can [dust them with] a little baking soda as well to help dry out your chicken."
When you season them matters a lot, too, he said: "Season them last second, salt last second, right before they go in the oven." Salting too early can draw out the moisture from the meat, which can make the skin flabby and the wings too dry.
He urged home cooks to bake their chicken wings in a hot oven, 450 degrees Fahrenheit, to make sure the skin gets nice and crispy. It also helps if you have a convection option on your oven.
Finally, wait until right before you serve your wings to toss them in your hot sour cherry barbecue sauce to keep them from getting soggy.
How to turn canned tuna into a gourmet game-day snack
Tom Colicchio is an avid fisher, so it's no surprise that he cans his own tuna at home. "It's easy actually," he said. "You put it in a jar with some oil and you put it in a pressure cooker, and it's done."
Whether you're out on the high seas reeling in your own tuna fish, or you're content to pick up a few cans from the supermarket, Colicchio recommended using the "really good fancy stuff" packed in oil for your game-day hors d'oeuvres.
"I slice fennel on a mandolin. Slice it really thin," he explained. "[Use] some bitter greens like verdicchio or endive, a little vinaigrette and the canned tuna, toss it all up — done."
Serve the tuna with some nice crostini, and garnish it with a few green fennel fronds. Nothing is too good for your Super Bowl party guests!
Learn more about Do Good Chicken and grab Colicchio's recipe for Sour Cherry BBQ Wings. Follow Tom Colicchio on Instagram for updates on his latest projects.