If I have a bucket of fried chicken in front of me with different chicken parts, i.e., thighs, legs, wings, breast – I would dive in for the wings. I don’t know, I just like them.

This recipe requires dried shiitake mushrooms to make it taste and smell more authentically Asian (Japanese to be exact) so don’t use any other mushrooms than the variety called “shiitake”. Other than that, all other ingredients are simple, guaranteed you’ve been stocking up on the Japanese cooking essentials like Mirin and Rice wine. 🙂

Ingredients:

• 10 pieces chicken wings
• handful of Dried Shiitake Mushrooms* – soak in water overnight
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup shiitake water (water used in soaking the dried mushrooms)
• 2 Tbsp Mirin
• 1/2 cup Japanese cooking rice wine
• 2 Tbsp Kikkoman Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar

* If you don’t have dried shiitake mushrooms, you can also use fresh ones.

Procedure:

1. Cut off the chicken wing parts so as only the middle part remain. Place a small slit on the chicken, just between the bones.

* Red line indicates the chicken piece to be cut off and green line indicates where the slit cuts should be.

Note: Discard the part on the right side of the knife in the photo above. The other part has ample meat in it, I marinate it, fry and call it ‘chicken lollipop’ to please my 6 year old. Recipe will follow next week!

2. Heat oil in small fry pan and pan fry the chicken wings.

3. Turn to the other side until golden brown.

4. Drain the soaked dried shiitake – BUT DON’T THROW THE WATER AWAY. Take out the stalk so only the mushroom cap is left. You can throw away those stalks.

5. Push the chicken to one side of the frying pan and add the soft shiitake. Stir.

Note: Since I have only few pieces of dried shiitake left, I added fresh shiitake I bought from the supermarket. Dubai folks can find fresh shiitake in Spinneys (bought mine in Al Ghurair branch) and in Lulu Hypermarket (Al Qusais branch).

6. Transfer to a deep cooking pan and add 1 cup plain water, 1/2 cup Japanese rice cooking wine, 2 Tbsp Kikkoman Soy Sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 cup shiitake water (the water in which the dried shiitake were soaked in, the one I asked you not to throw away).

Cover it and let it boil, let it boil, let it boil.

7. Some brown colored scum will float while it’s boiling – lower the fire and scoop out the scum out so the sauce later will be clearer and less greasy.

8. Simmer for another 20 minutes in medium-low fire (constantly checking on the liquid).

9. The chicken pieces must be tender by now, add 2 Tbsp of Mirin. Mix by holding the lid of the pan, lifting it and making a circular motion. Turn the fire off.

Note: If you use a spoon or laddle to mix it, the chicken skin might come off and not look presentable. It will still taste good though.

10. Serve – great with rice and miso soup.

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UAE/Dubai residents can various Japanese ingredients at the Japanese grocery store, Dean’s Fujiya near Lamcy Plaza in Bur Dubai. Telephone: 04-337-0401.