Cook’s notes

Tebasaki literally translates to “wing tips” and it is the term used for both bone-in chicken wings and the fried chicken dish.

What makes tebasaki stand out among other fried chicken dishes? The crispiness despite the meagre amount of starch with which the chicken wings were dusted. And, of course, the incomparable flavors which all come from a special sauce in which the chicken wings are tossed after they are fried.

What makes tebasaki so crispy? The chicken wings are fried twice. First, over medium heat to cook the chicken through; then, over very high heat to create the crispy crust. Might sound like a lot of work but the result totally justifies all the effort.

Serve these delicious chicken wings as an accompaniment to beer or sake. Or serve with rice for a full meal.

Japanese fried chicken wings (tebasaki)

Prep: 10

Cook: 20

Total: 30

Servings: 3 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Label: Bone-in chicken, Fried chicken

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Ingredients

500 grams chicken wings (1.1 pounds)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon rock salt

Glaze

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons mirin
½ teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon black vinegar

To fry

2 tablespoons potato starch
cooking oil for deep frying

To garnish

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (optional)

Instructions

Rinse the chicken wings and wipe dry. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a wok, heat the sugar, soy sauce, sake, mirin, ginger and garlic. Allow to boil gently over medium heat, uncovered, for a minute. Turn off the heat. Set the sauce aside to cool.
In another wok or frying pan, pour in enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least three inches. Set the heat to medium.
Wipe the chicken wings once more. Add the potato starch to the chicken and toss to coat each piece with a thin layer of starch.
Fry the chicken wings in batches just until lightly browned. Transfer to a strainer as they cook, go on to the next batch, and so on.
Turn the heat to high. Fry the chicken wings again, this time, in smaller batches of four or five (see the difference after the first and second frying).
Dump the cooked chicken wings into the pan with the sauce. Toss to coat each piece of chicken with sauce.
Add the toasted sesame seeds. Toss a few more times. Scoop out, sprinkle in scallions, and serve.