AURELIUS - It's not too surprising that a Buffalo wing expert is also a longtime fan of the Buffalo Bills.

Stephen Hegel, a sales associate at Bass Pro Shops in the Fingerlakes Mall, watches his beloved NFL team practically every Sunday during football season. Hegel usually boosts the festive atmosphere by frying up a batch of the spicy wings, which were supposedly first created at a bar in Buffalo in 1964.

During a recent demonstration, Hegel used his expertise to show how to properly prepare Buffalo wings, and numerous customers gathered at the table Hegel had set up near the store's aquarium to sample his creations.

“My favorite flavor is hot - in fact, the hotter, the better, I think,” said Hegel, of Seneca Falls, while arranging wings of various flavors on a platter.

Hegel said that for several years, he has been making wings in his own deep fryer on Sundays to complement the games, and friends often show up at his home to watch football and snack on his concoctions.

“To me, it's just not football without some chicken wings,” he remarked.

The history of Buffalo wings is often disputed. Though most believe they were first created by Teressa Bellissimo, co-owner of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, many other restaurants also claim to be the original wingmakers.

Regardless of their origin, wings have since become a worldwide craze. Many eateries now include a version of chicken wings on their menus. Buffalo Wild Wings, a national restaurant chain soon to open a store at Fingerlakes Crossing, has an entire menu built around the spicy delights.

During his demonstration, Hegel explained his step-by-step process of preparing wings.

He began with two four-pound bags of raw wings, which he said he thawed ahead of time.

“Thawing them out gets rid of a lot of excess water, and makes them cook a lot faster,” he explained.

Hegel then placed the uncooked wings on a platter and patted them with a paper towel to dry them even more.

“I know from experience that hot oil and water don't mix ... if the (raw) wings are dry, less oil splashes up when you put them in,” he said.

Hegel cooked the wings in a deep fryer for about 12 minutes.

“Most people keep them in for 10-15 minutes, depending on how crispy they want them,” he said as he dumped the chicken on a tray to cool.

As the tantalizing aroma of frying chicken spread throughout the store, hungry customers began crowding around the table.

Hegel basted the wings with several different sauces, which came directly from the store's shelves and ranged from buttery to honey mustard to hot.

“We also sell a sauce called 'Pappy's White Lightnin','” he said, brandishing a bottle of the rust-brown liquid, “but I don't want anyone to run screaming from the store,” he joked.

The platters were soon empty, as patrons stopped to sample Hegel's offerings.

“Wow, it looks like I might need to go buy some more chicken,” he said at one point.

Among the customers sampling Hegel's wings was Kevin Alves, of Auburn, who said that since he grew up near New Orleans, he was used to spicier flavors.

“These wings are pretty mild for my taste ... but where I come from, it's not spicy unless your face turns red,” he quipped.

Basic Wing Sauce

Combine Frank's Red Hot Sauce and butter according to the chart below:

Mild: Equal parts hot sauce and butter

Medium: 2:1

Hot: 3:1

Suicidal: 4 (or more) :1

Combine hot sauce and

butter in a saucepan and simmer on low heat until warm. Place cooked wings in a tupperware container and add sauce. Replace lid and shake container until wings are thoroughly coated; serve.