sesame shiso wings

Air Fryer

Sesame Shiso Wings

Growing up, my mom was the Queen of wings. She had three finger-lickin' recipes (Paprika Picnic Wings, Garlic-Lemon Wings and Wings with a Soy Garlic Dipping sauce) that she would rotate through, bringing to potlucks and picnics to rave reviews. These wings are my interpretation that combines aspects of each recipe. Salty, with nutty notes from the sesame and an underlying brightness from the lemon and shiso, all these need is a cold beer and you are ready for the game. NOTE: I use gluten free tamari because my husband is allergic to gluten, however I have also come to appreciate the robust, dark flavor tamari imparts. To my palate, it is slightly saltier than regular soy sauce, so if you substitute soy sauce, add to taste accordingly.

Ingredients

12 chicken wings
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cornstarch
4-5 green shiso leaves, cut into chiffonade and then chopped crosswise
1 large green onion, finely sliced
5 tablespoons gluten free tamari (can substitute soy sauce, see headnote)
1 tablespoon honey of choice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon mirin
drizzle of sesame oil
black and white sesame seeds, for sprinkling
vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Separate wings at joints to get a wing, a drumette and a tip. Save tips for stock. You should have 24 pieces. In a gallon sized ziploc bag, combine wings, drumettes, lemon juice, salt, ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder and fresh black pepper. Seal bag, pushing out as much air as possible, and massage chicken pieces to thoroughly and evenly coat with lemon juice and spices. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, occasionally turning bag.
In a fryer or Dutch oven, begin to heat enough vegetable oil to measure at least an inch deep. If using a fryer, heat to 365 degrees. If using a Dutch oven, turn stove to medium-high heat (5 on my stove) and keep covered (although you may need to turn down once oil gets hot). Set up a baking sheet topped with a cooling rack near your frying station. Cover the rack with a few paper towels.
Meanwhile, make your sauce. In a medium bowl, combine tamari, honey, sugar, mirin, shiso and green onion. Add drizzle of sesame oil. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Set aside.
In a clean ziploc, add cornstarch. Transfer chicken pieces from marinating ziploc to the one with the cornstarch (you don't want all the liquid from the marinating bag). Remove air from cornstarch ziploc, seal, and shake to coat chicken pieces. Your oil should be ready and hot.
Using tongs to shake off excess cornstarch, start frying chicken pieces, being careful not to crowd the fryer or Dutch oven. I could fit about 7 pieces at a time. Fry chicken until cooked and golden brown, about 6 minutes. As you remove the cooked chicken with tongs, squeeze out excess oil (over fryer or Dutch oven). Place on paper towel covered rack. Continue until all the chicken is cooked.
Gently toss cooked chicken in sauce, a few pieces at a time, making sure to get shiso and green onion on the chicken. The straight sauce is pretty salty so you do not want to leave the pieces in for an extended amount of time. Just enough to coat each side.
Sprinkle coated pieces with sesame seeds and serve immediately with your favorite beer. These are best piping hot, although are also good cold (just not crispy).
Note: You can also roast the marinated wings and drumettes (omit cornstarch) on a lined baking sheet in the top third of a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes. Finish under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes. Coat in sauce as in step 6. These are lovely, although I personally prefer the crispier skin from frying.