Wings with ponzu and yuzu dressing
“This recipe makes wings similar to the type you find at izakaya and kushikatsu (fried skewers) restaurants. After being fried, the wings are dipped into a sauce, which, naturally enough, slightly softens the crispness. The wings are at their absolute best eaten within 10 minutes of being fried and dipped but are delicious even when the crispness has entirely faded. Izakaya frequently serve the mid-joint portion with the wing tip attached, so use them, if possible. Bottled ponzu is fairly easy to find, but bottled yuzu might be more difficult – look for it at shops specializing in Japanese ingredients. If you can’t find yuzu juice, use equal parts of fresh orange, lemon and lime juice to total 5 teaspoons.”
SERVES 4–6
1kg chicken wings – preferably mid-joint with the wing tip
coarse salt flakes, as necessary
1 tsp finely ground white pepper
about 120g potato or sweet potato flour
3¼ cups vegetable oil
toasted sesame seeds
For the dressing
2–3 peeled garlic cloves
scant ½ cup soy sauce (all-purpose Kikkoman or your favourite brand)
scant ½ cup ponzu
2 tbsp + 2 tsp sake
2 tbsp caster sugar
5 tsp yuzu juice
Weigh the wings, then multiply the amount by 0.01 – this is the amount of salt you need. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the wings, then mix well.
For the dressing, grate the garlic cloves, preferably on a ceramic oroshigane. Put the grated garlic into a small saucepan and add the soy sauce, ponzu, sake and sugar; do not cook yet, set aside. Pour the yuzu juice into a small bowl and place it near the stove top.
Dredge the wings in the potato or sweet potato flour to coat them lightly, then shake off the excess and lay the pieces on a cooling rack placed over a tray. Leave them to air-dry for at least 10 minutes, then dredge them a second time, again shaking off the excess.
Pour the vegetable oil into a pan, preferably a medium wok, set over a medium heat. Fry the chicken at 160°C in four or five batches. Fry for 5–6 minutes, then drain on the rack placed over the tray. After frying the last batch, fry the wings again, this time at 170°C for 1½ minutes.
While the wings are frying the second time, turn on the heat under the saucepan and heat the sauce to boiling. Turn off the heat and stir in the yuzu juice.
Pour half of the sauce into a large bowl and add half the wings. Toss the wings in the bowl while gently stirring them so they are lightly coated with the sauce, then pile them on a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining sauce and wings. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the wings and serve.
This is an edited extract from Kung Pao and Beyond by Susan Jung, published by Quadrille. RRP $50. Photography by Yuki Sugiura. Published by Quadrille.
