There’s nothing more comforting than sitting across from a plate full of glazed wings! Chicken wings, or tebasaki, are a hugely popular dish in Nagoya where they are coated in a peppery glaze. In this recipe the heat is kept out–instead, balsamic vinegar adds a moreish sweet and sour taste.
750 g chicken wings
40 g plain flour
750 ml vegetable oil, for frying
Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp white sesame seeds, to serve
AMAGARA SAUCE
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp light brown soft sugar
1 tsp garlic purée
1 tsp Tobanjan (Chinese chilli bean paste)
SERVES 4
Wipe off any excess water from the chicken wings with kitchen paper and season them with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken wings in flour all over, then set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan to 170°C (340°F) over high heat.
To check that the oil is ready, stick the end of a wooden cooking chopstick (or wooden spatula) into the oil. If it creates bubbles around the utensil, your oil is ready for frying. If it is bubbling hard, the oil is too hot; let it cool a bit and check the temperature again. Once the correct temperature has been reached, reduce the heat to medium to maintain it.
Add the chicken wings, 6 pieces at a time, and deep-fry for about 10 minutes per batch, turning over a few times in the oil until golden brown. When each batch is cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the wings from the hot oil to a cooling rack to drain the oil.
To make the amagara sauce, add all the ingredients along with 60 ml water to a large frying pan, stir to combine them and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Add all the fried chicken wings to the pan and turn them over a few times to coat in the sauce until sticky and slightly caramelized all over.
Tip the chicken wings out onto a large serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.
This recipe is from Otsumami by Atsuko Ikeda. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.