To achieve a crispy crust on his Japanese fried chicken, Sylvan Mishima Brackett, chef-owner of the San Francisco izakaya Rintaro, uses potato starch. Once the wings are out of the fryer, he coats them in a sweet-salty soy-and-mirin sauce and adds sansho, the Japanese equivalent of Sichuan pepper, for kick, and a squeeze of lemon juice for balance.
Featured in “Inside Chef Sylvan Mishima Brackett’s Curated Kitchen” by Daniel Duane.
Yield: 4–6
- 4 lb. chicken wings, separated at the joint, wing tips removed
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. mirin
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sake
- 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- One 6-in. piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup soy sauce
- <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> cup turbinado sugar
- <sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> cup potato starch
- Canola oil, for frying
- Ground sansho powder, for sprinkling
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the wings, 2 tablespoons of mirin, 2 tablespoons of sake, the sesame oil, sugar, salt, garlic, and ginger. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
- To a medium pot over medium heat, add the soy sauce, turbinado sugar, and the remaining mirin and sake, and cook until reduced by half, about 1 hour. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap; keep warm.
- Into a large pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, pour the oil to a depth of 2 inches. Turn the heat to medium, and when the temperature reads 320°F, toss the wings with potato starch, shaking off the excess, and fry in batches until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Toss the wings with the reserved sauce, transfer to a platter, and sprinkle with sansho. Serve with lemon wedges.
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