Grandmother's Chinese Chicken Wings

My daughter asks for Chinese chicken wings for Christmas and for her birthday. The only thing I changed was to use fish sauce instead of oyster sauce(I don't do shellfish). I saw this on The Best Thing I Ever Made(by Andrew Zimmern, episode: Tasty Travels) and posted it to make for her. Andrew said the first time he tasted this dish was in Hong Kong and it took him 20 years to get the recipe. For his video on how to make, look here=http://andrewzimmern.com/2012/11/16/the-best-thing-i-ever-made-grandmas-chinese-chicken-wings/

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 4-6 appetizers

Ingredients

• 16  whole chicken wings, flap segments removed and saved for stock
• 1⁄3 cup sake
• 1⁄3 cup soy sauce
• 4  tablespoons brown sugar (If you like it sweeter, add more. You can check the flavor of the sauce at any time and I encourage )
• 2 -3  tablespoons mirin
• 3  tablespoons fish sauce (originally oyster sauce-can try with hoisin sauce)
• 4  large  thin slices fresh ginger
• 1 -2  cloves star anise
• 1  dried hot chili pepper
• 1  cinnamon stick
•  shaved green onion, for garnish (julienne cut)
•  sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

1. Place a 14-inch nonstick saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken and dry-sear to lightly brown the chicken.
2. Add the sake, soy sauce, 1/3 cup water, brown sugar, mirin, hoisin sauce, ginger, star anise, dried chile and cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer.
3. Cook, covered, about 12 minutes.
4. Uncover and simmer until the pan is almost dry, tossing frequently to coat the wings, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Skim off the fat if you like(not recommended), and serve, garnishing with scallion shavings and sesame seeds. Andrew likes to emulsify the chicken fat into the sauce by turning up the heat at the last minute to boil the fat into the other liquids.