A Japanese home-cooking classic where chicken drumettes turn melt-in-your-mouth tender thanks to rice vinegar, coated in a syrupy soy glaze and served alongside gently amber-stained eggs.
Ingredients
- 1000 g free-range chicken wing drumettes (tebamoto)
- 4 pieces large free-range eggs
- 150 ml unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
- 100 ml traditional Japanese koikuchi soy sauce
- 150 ml filtered water
- 60 g granulated white beet sugar
- 25 g fresh ginger root
- 3 cloves fresh white garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp refined sunflower oil
- 1 piece fresh scallions
Method
- Cook the eggs in a pot of steadily simmering water (around 95 °C / 203 °F) for exactly 8 minutes to achieve a jammy yolk. Transfer them immediately to an ice water bath for 5 minutes to stop the cooking, peel them gently as soon as they have cooled, and set aside.
- Rinse the fresh ginger root and slice it thinly without peeling. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them lightly with the flat side of a knife blade. Prick the chicken drumettes in several places with the tip of a knife to help the sauce penetrate.
- Heat the sunflower oil over medium-high heat (around 170 °C / 338 °F) in a wide skillet. Add the chicken drumettes skin-side down and sear for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the skin turns a nice light golden brown. Mop up any excess rendered fat from the bottom of the pan with paper towels.
- Add the garlic and ginger. Pour in the filtered water, Japanese rice vinegar, koikuchi soy sauce, and granulated sugar. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat (100 °C / 212 °F) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then carefully skim off any foam on the surface.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer (around 85 to 90 °C / 185 to 194 °F). Place a parchment paper drop lid (otoshibuta) with a center vent hole directly onto the meat, then cover partially. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the meat turns tender and pulls back slightly along the bone.
- Remove the parchment paper drop lid. Add the peeled eggs to the simmering liquid. Continue simmering uncovered over medium heat (around 90 °C / 194 °F) for 5 minutes, basting the chicken continuously and turning the eggs until they take on an even amber color.
- Increase the heat to medium-high for 4 to 5 minutes to reduce the sauce: roll the drumettes (internal temperature should reach at least 75 °C / 165 °F) and the eggs until the liquid forms large syrupy bubbles and coats the back of a spoon. Let rest off the heat for 2 minutes before serving.
- Arrange the hot chicken drumettes in a shallow serving dish alongside the eggs halved lengthwise. Spoon the glossy glaze generously over the top and garnish with thinly sliced scallions.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 362.1 kcal
- Protein
- 43.8 g
- Carbohydrate
- 18.65 g
- Fat
- 11.06 g
- Fibre
- 0.29 g
- Calcium
- 7.25 mg
- Iron
- 0.46 mg
- Magnesium
- 21.68 mg
