The famous fried chicken drumettes of Nagoya izakayas, golden and crispy thanks to a potato starch double-fry, coated in a syrupy sweet soy tare and kicked up with an intense white pepper and toasted sesame seasoning.
Ingredients
- 720 g free-range chicken drumettes
- 3 tbsp no-salt-added Japanese cooking sake
- 4 tbsp dark Japanese koikuchi soy sauce
- 3 tbsp authentic Japanese fermented rice mirin
- 1 1/2 tbsp granulated white cane sugar
- 1 clove grated fresh local garlic
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 80 g potato starch
- 800 ml deodorized high-oleic sunflower frying oil
- 1 1/2 tsp high-quality ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp unsalted toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 pinch unrefined fine salt
Method
- Place each chicken drumette on a cutting board and make a clean slit along the bone to relax the meat and allow for optimal heat penetration.
- Carefully pat the drumettes dry with paper towels to remove all traces of surface moisture.
- Place the chicken in a bowl, pour in a portion of the cooking sake and a pinch of fine salt, then gently massage the meat and let rest for about ten minutes.
- Prepare the tare sauce: in a small saucepan, combine the dark Japanese soy sauce, mirin, remaining cooking sake, white sugar, grated garlic and grated ginger.
- Heat the saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer, then let it reduce gently until you have a syrupy, glossy liquid that coats the back of a spoon.
- In a small bowl, mix the ground white pepper and cracked black pepper.
- Pour the potato starch into a shallow dish, then coat each chicken drumette in a fine layer, tapping vigorously to remove any excess starch.
- Heat the high-oleic sunflower oil in a deep skillet or deep fryer until it reaches 160 °C.
- Submerge the chicken drumettes in the hot oil in small batches to avoid dropping the temperature of the oil, then cook gently for about 6 minutes until the meat is cooked through and the bubbling subsides.
- Remove the drumettes and place them on a wire rack for 4 to 5 minutes to let the internal moisture evaporate and relax the fibers.
- Increase the temperature of the frying oil to 180 °C.
- Submerge the chicken again for the second fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the crust becomes crispy, shatteringly crunchy and takes on a beautiful golden amber color.
- Drain the chicken on the wire rack, then immediately brush each hot piece with warm tare sauce using a pastry brush to ensure the glaze adheres well.
- Sprinkle immediately and generously with the white and black pepper mixture, then finish by scattering the toasted white sesame seeds over the top.
- Arrange on a warm serving platter and serve immediately to preserve the crunch.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 372.9 kcal
- Protein
- 27.39 g
- Carbohydrate
- 20.65 g
- Fat
- 18.06 g
- Fibre
- 1.02 g
- Calcium
- 37.84 mg
- Iron
- 1.26 mg
- Magnesium
- 26.52 mg
