Teba No Karaage (Fried Chicken Wings)

The secret to these ultra-crispy Japanese chicken wings? Potato starch.

Serves
4–6

NICOLE FRANZEN

Updated on April 2, 2024

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.

Ingredients

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
¹⁄₂ cup turbinado sugar
³⁄₄ cup potato starch
Canola oil, for frying
Ground sansho powder, for sprinkling
Lemon wedges, for serving

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Instructions

Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.