Nagoya-Style Chicken Wings (Tebasaki)

In Nagoya, tebasaki—lightly glazed, twice-fried chicken wings—are a famous regional specialty. On a recent trip to Japan, Chris Kimball and Matt Card had two different versions from Maka Maka Honten and Yamachan.

Tebasaki typically are prepared by seasoning chicken wings with salt and white pepper, then dusting them with potato starch and deep-frying them twice: once at a lower temperature (around 160ºC or 320ºF) and once at a higher one (around 180ºC or 356ºF). The wings then are tossed with a light, flavorful glaze made with ginger, garlic, sake, soy, mirin and brown sugar; some versions include Worcestershire sauce in their glaze for added color and savoriness. The wings aren't saucy at all—the glaze is applied with a light hand, just enough to help the signature tebasaki spice blend cling to the chicken.

The finishing touch of ground spices is key to great tebasaki. Once glazed, the wings are generously dressed with a finely ground sesame seeds and a spice mix consisting of black pepper, white pepper, sugar, salt, cayenne and ground sanshō. (Sanshō, also known as Japanese pepper or Japanese prickly-ash, is made from the dried leaves of the sanshō plant. It's a little citrusy, a little spicy and very aromatic, reminiscent of—but distinct from—Sichuan peppercorn.)