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Tebasaki (Nagoya fried chicken wings)
手羽先: crisp double-fried wings brushed with sweet soy and buried in black pepper and sesame
In Nagoya's izakaya, chicken wings come whole, with the mid-joint and tip still joined in a V, and they arrive in piles beside cold drinks. Tebasaki are fried without batter until the skin turns crisp and thin, then brushed with a sweet soy glaze and dusted heavily with pepper and sesame. The spice is the point: they should taste peppery, salty and sticky at once. Eat them with your hands, twisting the two bones apart to pull the meat off. Chef's tip: brush on the glaze the moment the wings leave the oil; hot, crisp skin soaks it up and stays crunchy, while cooled wings just turn sticky.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the wings
- 2 ¼ lb whole chicken wings, tips onabout 12, drumettes cut off and kept for another dish
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying
For the glaze
To finish
- 2 tsp black peppercoarsely ground
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Pat the 2 ¼ lb whole chicken wings, tips on completely dry with kitchen paper, inside the joints too, and sprinkle with the ½ tsp salt. Common mistake: frying damp wings. The water makes the oil spit dangerously and the skin steams instead of crisping.
Step 2: Make the glaze: simmer the 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake, 1 ½ tbsp sugar, 1 clove garlic and 1 tsp fresh ginger in a small pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes, until slightly syrupy. Most of the alcohol cooks off; for an alcohol-free glaze replace the mirin and sake with 3 tablespoons of water and 1 extra teaspoon of sugar.
3 minStep 3: Mix the 2 tsp black pepper and ½ tsp white pepper in a small bowl.
Step 4: Heat the 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying in a deep, heavy pan (no more than a third full) to 325°F.
8 minStep 5: Fry the wings in two batches for 8 to 10 minutes, turning now and then, until pale golden and cooked through. Lift out onto a rack.
10 minStep 6: Raise the oil to 350°F. Return the wings in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until deep golden, crackly and the thickest part reaches 165°F/165 °F with juices running clear.
5 minStep 7: While they are still sizzling, brush each wing all over with the glaze, then sprinkle generously with the pepper mix and 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds. Serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tebasaki (Nagoya fried chicken wings) take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of mirin?
- Rice vinegar with ½ tsp sugar per tbsp.
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