A Delicious Alternative To Buffalo Wings

Nagoya, in central Japan, is a city that's nuts about chickn. Its citizens grill it, poach it, even eat it raw. A half century or so ago, the chef of a local joint called Furaibo noticed mountains of chicken wings at the local market going begging for customers. Why waste wings, he pondered. So he came up with a recipe, and started offering it these forlorn parts at Furaibo. The result was, well, spectacular. In short oder, those mountains at the market turned into barren valleys, as shoppers, and other restaurants, began snapping up the wings in Nagoya and beyond. The secret to these amazing wings is to deep-fry the chicken first, then quickly dip them in a marinade for flavor. Here's Tadashi's delicious variation. Be sure to bring some extra napkins to the dining table:

You will need:

• About 2 pounds of chicken wings
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tsp tobanjan
• 2 tsp grated garlic
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 2 Tbs red miso
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1/4 cup mirin
• Vegtable oil for deep frying
• 1/4 cup katakuriko (potato starch)
• 1 Tbs sesame seed

Cut each chiken wing at its 2 joints, and discard the wingtip portion of the wings. Lightly season the chicken with salt and papper, then transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Add the tobanjan, garlic, sugar, miso, soy sauce, sake, and mirin to a saucepan and place over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar and miso dissolve and the sauce comes to a boil. Transfer the sauce to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Place a cast-iron skillet on a burner, and fill it with an inch or so of oil. Set up a tray lined with newspaper or paper towels to drain the cooked wings. Turn the heat on high and heat the oil to 350 degrees F.

While the oil is heating, toss the wings with the potato starch until they're evenly coated.

When the oil is at 350 degrees F, shake off the excess potato starch from the wings and set them in the oil. You'll need to cook in batches, and you don't want to let the oil temp drop too low or the wings will get soggy and greasy, or too high or they'll burn.

Cook for about 7 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown, then transfer to your draining tray. When the wings are all done, add them to the bowl with the sauce and toss them to evenly coat. Transfer the wings to a platter and garnish with the sesame seeds and pig out while you watch the game!