Teriyaki Wings

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice; from a 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob) 1 2.5

2 lbs chicken wings

2 cloves garlic

¼ cup sake (I used Sho Chiku Bai Classic Junmai Sake)

⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (for cooking)

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup sake (I used Sho Chiku Bai Classic Junmai Sake)

¼ cup mirin (I used Takara Mirin)

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tsp ginger juice (squeezed from the leftover grated ginger above)

½ tsp toasted white sesame seeds

1 green onion/scallion

Directions

Gather all the ingredients.

Peel and grate the entire ginger knob. Measure 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice) for the chicken marinade. Then, squeeze the remaining grated ginger and set aside 1 tsp ginger juice (or more, if you‘d like) to use later in the teriyaki sauce.

Place 2 lbs chicken wings in a large bowl. Mince or crush 2 cloves garlic with a garlic press. Add 1 tsp grated ginger and ¼ cup sake.

Add ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

With your hands, mix the chicken wings well until they’re completely coated in the marinade seasonings.

To Cook

Heat a Dutch oven (I use a 4.5 Le Creuset) over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil and distribute evenly. Add the chicken wings in a single layer (try not to overlap too much). If you cook more than 2 lbs chicken wings, you will definitely need to cook them in batches.

Some parts of the chicken wings may overlap, but that’s okay. Cover and cook on medium heat for 4–5 minutes.

After 4–5 minutes have passed, open the lid and flip the chicken wings. Now, if you are using a pot that is NOT oven-safe, be sure to brown the chicken wings nicely at this stage. Don’t turn the wings often and allow them to develop a nice brown char. You may need to increase the heat slightly, depending on the pot you’re using.

Cover again and cook for another 4–5 minutes. Then, uncover and check if the wings need to brown more.

Add the teriyaki sauce ingredients to the pot: 2 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, ¼ cup sake, ¼ cup mirin, and ¼ cup soy sauce.

Lastly add all the ginger juice (about 1 tsp) and make sure all the wings are coated in the sauce very well.

Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and most of the chicken wings are exposed from the sauce. When you’re about to finish simmering, preheat the broiler for 5 minutes.

To Broil

Place the Dutch oven in the oven and broil for 3–4 minutes. Stay in front of the oven to make sure you don’t burn the chicken wings. My rack is in the middle position and the heating element is not too close to the chicken wings. The broiling time varies depending on how far your wings are from the heat element.

Remove the pot from the broiler. Thinly slice 1 green onion/scallion (the green part only) diagonally, and sprinkle them over the wings, along with ½ tsp toasted white sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

To Store

You can keep in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for a month.

Nutrition

• Calories: 383 kcal
• Total Fat: 23 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 94 mg
• Sodium: 572 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 11 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 10 g
• Protein: 24 g