One thing is for a sure bet on Super Bowl Sunday — that a lot of Americans will be eating chicken wings. According to the National Chicken Council, we’ll be devouring 1.25 million of the on the big day.

While the quarterbacks for the two teams — Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks — won’t be among the noshers, they both will have a connection with wing lovers.

First, there’s Brady, who is no stranger to wings. They were a favorite of his during college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He was a regular at Ann Arbor’s Mr. Spots, which has been voted as having the best wings in the city for a number of years. Brady even treated his offensive line to some of Mr. Spots’ wings the night before a game with the Detroit Lions in 2009.

Then, there’s Russell, whose anti-domestic violence charity, “Why Not You,” will be the beneficiary of 10 percent of the sales of New York’s Homestead Steakhouse’s $4,900 plate of wings special on Super Bowl Sunday.
Yup, that’s right. $4,900.

According to the New York Post, for the rock-bottom price of about five grand, a person can get a dozen wings, three of them covered in a special foie gras that costs $65 per pound; three are covered in a cream sauce made from a $2,400 bottle of Louis XIII Cognac; and three are covered in Royal Ossetra Caviar that retails for $1,600 per ounce.

The other three wings aren’t really traditional wings. They are three portions of Kobe beef ($400 per pound) marinated in a $1,100 bottle of sake.

Well, I know most of my readers couldn’t afford that, but here are two recipes that are a little cheaper and probably just as good or better. One is from the mother of Eli and Peyton Manning, the other from chef Floyd Cardoz, winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters a couple of years ago.

Creamy Buffalo Wings

8 teaspoons Tabasco brand Buffalo Style Hot Sauce
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
Vegetable oil or canola oil
2 dozen chicken wings
¼ cup Wondra flour or rice flour
Combine Tabasco brand Buffalo Style Hot Sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and sugar in a food processor and process until smooth.
Preheat vegetable oil in fryer to 350 degrees.
Remove and discard wing tips from wings. Separate each wing into two pieces at the joint; trim excess fat and skin. Toss chicken wings in a bowl with flour. Fry wings for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy. Remove from fryer; drain and transfer to a bowl. Toss wings with desired amount of Creamy Buffalo sauce.
Yield: 24 chicken wings.

West Bank Wings
3 pounds chicken wing pieces
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup Creole Mustard
¼ cup cane syrup or molasses
¼ cup sweet chili sauce (like Thai Kitchen)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro
Sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss chicken wings with oil and Creole Seasoning in large bowl.
Arrange wings in single layer on foil-lined large shallow baking pan.|Bake 35 minutes or until wings are cooked through and skin is crisp.
Mix remaining ingredients, except cilantro and sesame seeds, in large skillet. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer about 15 minutes or until sauce is reduced.
Add wings; toss to coat with sauce. Transfer wings to serving platter. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Yield: Serves 8 to 10 as appetizer.