Rumor has it there's a big game this Saturday at the Stadium. For me, that means it's time to buy the chicken wings and it's not too early to get started. I just discovered that marinating them 48 hours (instead of my usual 24) makes them tastier than ever.

I had it in my head that 24 hours was the maximum marinating time for most everything (doesn't the acidity begin to disintegrate the protein fibers, compromising the texture?) but when I began quizzing folks in Binghamton, N.Y., about their favorite Speidie recipes, (marinated meat sandwiches), they told me they marinated their Speidie meat for days.

I wouldn't advise these long marinade times for most proteins — especially fish, unless you intend to make ceviche (the marinade actually "cooks" the fish). I've over-marinated in the past and have actually pickled meat. But a 48-hour marinade certainly improved the flavor of these chicken wings. They were deliciously, intensely, irresistibly tangy and tender.

I used my husband, Richard, mother's Speidie marinade recipe, adding paprika primarily for color. I also added bottled hot sauce to the recipe for a bit of heat.

I grilled them on grilling sheets, but there were flare-ups because of the excessive fat (I did not say this was a heart-healthy recipe). It also made a mess of the grill. But they were fabulous. I may compromise the grilled flavor this weekend by baking instead of grilling them. I also purchased just the drumstick part of the wing (from Hiller's). Certainly you may use the entire wing, split, if desired.

If you don't have time to marinate the meat, here's an incredibly delicious recipe for Chili-Lime wings. You toss the wings into this fantastic sauce AFTER baking them.

As well, any of your favorite bottled marinades or barbecue sauces would be fine, doctored up to your palate. I've used the Soy Vay Veri Teriyaki as a marinade in past wing recipes, then coated them with sesame seeds before baking in the oven. Yowza!

Other options: take a bottled marinade or barbecue sauce and doctor the sauce up to suit your taste. I like hot and tangy flavors; you may prefer a sweeter flavor profile, such as Sweet Baby Ray's.

Go Blue ... I mean Green ... I mean Blue (our family claims both alma maters!)

Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil
 3/4 cup white wine vinegar or lemon juice (3-4 big, juicy lemons)
 2 teaspoons dry rosemary
 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons paprika
 Hot sauce or cayenne 3 pounds chicken wings, separated into sections at the joint (or chicken drummettes)

Directions

1. Make a marinade by whisking together oil, vinegar or lemon juice, rosemary, garlic and paprika. Season to taste with kosher salt and hot sauce or cayenne to taste. Place marinade in a bowl or in a couple of zip lock bags, large enough to accommodate the wings. Place wings in marinade and stir to coat. Refrigerate 48 hours, occasionally stirring. 2. Preheat oven to 350Ëš or prepare a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade. In a sauce pan, simmer marinade over medium heat while preparing oven or grill. Marinade should simmer 15 minutes to kill bacteria; use for basting chicken as it cooks. 3. If baking, cover a large baking sheet with foil and lightly oil or coat with cooking oil spray. If grilling, oil grill grates or grill pan. If baking, cook on middle rack 30 minutes, brushing once with marinade, or until golden brown and flesh at bone reaches a temperature of 165Ëš. If grilling, grill about 10 minutes on each side, brushing with marinade and carefully monitoring grill in case of flare ups. Serve warm or at room temperature.