Nagoya Tebasaki Wings

Ingredients

• 16 chicken wings, tips left on
• 1 litre vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp potato starch
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 3 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
• 1.5 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Before you cook

• Pat the wings completely dry with kitchen paper and leave them uncovered on a rack for 10 minutes.
• Season the wings with the salt.
• Dust the wings very lightly with the potato starch, brushing off any thick patches.
• Grate the garlic and ginger into a small pan.
• Add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and honey to that pan.

Steps

1. Set the sauce pan over medium heat and simmer for 4 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.
2. Pour the glaze into a large heatproof mixing bowl and set it aside.
3. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 160C.
4. Lower half the wings into the oil and fry for 7 minutes, until cooked through but still pale.
5. Lift the wings onto a rack and fry the second batch the same way.
6. Rest all the wings on the rack for 5 minutes, which lets the surface dry out.
7. Raise the oil temperature to 190C.
8. Return half the wings to the oil and fry for 90 seconds, until the skin is deep brown and crackling.
9. Drain them on the rack and fry the second batch.
10. Tip all the hot wings into the bowl of glaze.
11. Toss the wings until every one is lacquered and the glaze has thickened on contact.
12. Add the sesame seeds and black pepper and toss again.
13. Pile the wings onto a platter and pour over any glaze left in the bowl.
14. Serve immediately, with plenty of paper napkins.