Lemon Pepper Wings

Method

1. 1

   Blend the base

   Blend the tofu, no-chicken broth, melted coconut oil, white miso and bouillon paste in a blender until completely smooth. Any lumps left here end up as soft spots in the wing.

2. 2

   Mix and rest the dough

   ⏱ 10 min

   Whisk the vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, onion powder, the garlic powder for the dough, poultry seasoning and white pepper in a mixing bowl. Pour in the blended base, stir to a shaggy dough, then knead for only 60 to 90 seconds, until it springs back. Overworking it makes the wings bready rather than meaty. Rest for 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Shape onto the skewers

   Snip the wooden skewers into 4-inch (10 cm) lengths with kitchen shears, cutting off the sharp points. On a board, divide the dough into pieces of roughly an ounce each, four per serving. Flatten one into an oval, lay a skewer along it with about an inch poking out, and pinch the dough around the skewer into a plump drumette. Repeat with the rest.

4. 4

   Steam

   ⏱ 35 min

   This step needs a vegetable steamer pot: a tiered steamer, or a pot with a steamer basket insert, so the wings sit above the water rather than in it. Wrap each wing tightly in foil, twisting the ends like a candy wrapper. Bring water to a boil in the base of the steamer, keeping it below the basket, lay the parcels in the basket, cover and steam for 35 minutes. Check the water now and then and top it up from a just-boiled kettle so the pot never boils dry. Lift the lid away from you, because the steam burns, and take the parcels out with tongs. Leave them in the foil for 15 minutes as they cool, then unwrap. They firm up as they rest.

5. 5

   Double dredge

   ⏱ 10 min

   Stir a tablespoon of the lemon juice into the soy milk and leave it 5 minutes to thicken. Set out two bowls: the milk in one, and the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and the garlic powder and black pepper for the dredge, with a good pinch of salt, whisked together in the other. Pat each wing and the bare end of its skewer dry. Holding it by the skewer, dip each wing milk, flour, milk, flour again, for a craggy double coat. Rest 10 minutes.

6. 6

   First fry

   ⏱ 4 min

   Pour the neutral oil into a heavy pot at least 4 inches (10 cm) deep; the oil must come no more than halfway up its sides. Heat it to 350°F (175°C), checking with a thermometer. Lower the wings in gently with a slotted spoon, a few at a time so the pot is never crowded, and fry for 4 minutes, turning once, until barely pale gold. Drain them on a rack for 5 minutes, and let the oil come back to temperature between batches. This fry cooks the coating through; it is not meant to color it.

7. 7

   Make the lemon pepper butter

   ⏱ 1 min

   Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cracked black pepper and grated garlic and sizzle for 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned. Off the heat, whisk in the lemon zest, the rest of the lemon juice, the maple syrup and a good pinch of salt.

8. 8

   Second fry

   ⏱ 2 min

   Raise the oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry the wings again, a few at a time, for 2 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and audibly crackly. The second fry is what makes the crust shatter rather than bend. Drain them on the rack, then trim the skewers again with kitchen shears to a short, neat handle, snipping off any scorched ends.

9. 9

   Toss and serve

   Toss the hot wings through the warm lemon pepper butter and pile them onto a plate. Finish with flaky salt, the parsley and more cracked pepper, and serve straight away with the lemon wedges. Sauce them at the last second or the crust softens.