Japanese Glazed Chicken Wings

• Tebasaki 
• Crispy Japanese fried chicken wings glazed with a sweet and garlicky glaze.

Ingredients

• 800 grams chicken wings
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar packed
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sake
• 3 tablespoons mirin
• 1 teaspoon ginger juice
• 1 medium clove garlic grated
• 1 tablespoon black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon potato starch
•  vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Put the chicken wings in a large bowl and sprinkle the pepper and salt. Toss the chicken to coat evenly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. This step not only infuses the chicken with the black pepper, the salt draws out extra moisture from the chicken, which will help in making the skin crisp.
2. Make the glaze by putting the sugar, soy sauce, sake, mirin, ginger juice, and garlic in a shallow pan. Heat over medium high heat until the glaze is at a rolling boil, like in the photo above. Add the vinegar, then transfer to a large bowl and allow the glaze to cool.
3. Add about 2" of vegetable oil to a heavy bottomed pot and heat to 320 degrees F (160C). Take the chicken out of the fridge and use paper towels to remove as much moisture from the surface of the chicken as possible. Sprinkle on the potato starch, and toss the chicken to evenly coat each piece with a thin layer of starch.
4. Fry the chicken wings for 10 minutes in batches. You can actually cram quite a few wings in, as long as they are fully submerged and get the oil temperature back up to 320 relatively quickly. Transfer to a plate and continue frying the rest of the wings.
5. Increase the heat of the oil to 375 degrees F (190C). Fry the chicken in smaller batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. The chicken is done when the wings are golden brown (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer the wings directly to the bowl of glaze and quickly toss to coat. Don't let them sit in the glaze too long.
6. Transfer the tebasaki to a serving platter, and sprinkle on some toasted sesame seeds and black pepper. Serve immediately.