Wasabi buffalo wings with shishito wasabi hot sauce

Break down each whole wing: cut through the skin to the joint between drum and wing, break the joint open and cut between the bones; repeat at the wing tip. Keep the tips for stock.

Pat some wings dry, salt lightly, and store uncovered on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet in the fridge overnight to dry the skin.

Whisk the cornstarch, flour, baking powder and kosher salt; press and massage the wings in the dredge until every surface is coated.

variation: make the same dredge with instant mashed potato flakes in place of cornstarch, pressing the flakes on firmly; a third batch combines the two.

Buffalo sauce framework: two parts hot sauce to one part butter.

variation: buffalo-ify a store-bought green hot sauce with butter and about a tablespoon of wasabi paste, adjusting to taste.

Stem the shishitos, jalapenos, poblano and Italian frying peppers.

Broil at maximum about five minutes, until deeply charred but not blackened on one side; flip and repeat.

Remove any fully carbonized, shiny black skin to avoid acrid or bitter flavours.

Blend the peppers with the garlic and distilled water into a paste.

optional: fill a sanitized jar three quarters with the paste, cover with cheesecloth or paper towel and ferment at room temperature 7 to 21 days.

Blend about two cups of pepper paste with the rice vinegar, soy sauce and fish sauce until as smooth as possible, adding vinegar until pourable.

Strain out the solids through a fine mesh sieve, add the wasabi paste and season to taste; thin with a little more vinegar to a Frank's-like consistency.

Heat the peanut oil to 350 to 375F and fry the wings 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Toss the wings in the green buffalo sauce (hot sauce and butter) and arrange on a plate.