You know I saw Bobby Flays version of wings this winter and that was pretty awful with the breading and all, but (let me preface by saying I actually like some of his shows) when Alton Brown decided to make semi-authentic wings. This somehow turned into an hour-long process (I know he explains the science behind what he's doing and sometimes that's actually pretty cool), but he STEAMED the wings and then baked them.
I don't know it may be the WNY-er in me, but let's not convolute the issue, if you have, wings, fryer, franks and blue cheese, you're pretty much all set I thought.