STUFFED CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• Rinse the rice three or four times in cold running water, until the water runs clear. Place in a bowl, cover with water, and soak for 15 minutes. Drain well.
• To cook the rice in a rice cooker, combine the rice, dashi, soy sauce, mirin, shiitakes, carrots, bamboo shoots, gobo, and abura-age in a rice cooker. Follow the rice cooker settings for sweet rice and cook until done.
• To cook the rice on the stove top, combine the rice, dashi, soy sauce, mirin, shiitakes, carrots, bamboo shoots, gobo, and abura-age in a pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, about 4 minutes, then cover and cook until no liquid remains visible (don't open the lid too often, just peek), about 3 minutes longer. Decrease the heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
• While the rice is cooking, remove the bones from the chicken wings by first cutting around the top joint (where it attaches to the body) to loosen the meat. Pull down to release the meat from the bone until you reach the second joint. Use a sharp knife to cut through the joint to loosen the bone, being careful not to puncture the skin. Cut around the second joint to loosen the meat again and pull down to the third joint, cutting between the bones to release them. The wing tip should remain intact. Re-form the meat and skin to resemble the original shape. Repeat with the 7 remaining wings. Refrigerate until ready to stuff.
• Prepare an ice bath and place a pot of salted water over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, add the pea pods and cook 1 minute. Remove from the water and submerge in the ice bath. Drain well. Slice 10 pea pods into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Set aside the remaining 24 pea pods for garnish.
• Once the rice has finished cooking, place 2 cups of it in a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mix in the sliced pea pods. Fill a small bowl with cold water and lightly dip your hands in it before touching the rice (sweet rice is extremely sticky when cooked; the water helps keep the rice from sticking to your hands). Measure 1/4 cup rice and stuff inside a hollowed-out chicken wing a little bit at a time, being sure to fill the entire wing. Repeat with the remaining 7 wings.
• Once all the wings have been stuffed, wrap each with 1 slice bacon and place them all in a 4-quart saucepan (it should be a snug fit).
• To make the braising liquid, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
• Pour the braising liquid over the chicken wings in the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, about 1 minute, then cover. Decrease the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Using tongs, carefully turn over each wing to cook the other side. Put the cover back on and cook for 5 to 6 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through.
• Let the chicken wings cool to room temperature. Place 1 wing on each of 8 small plates, garnish each with 3 pea pods, and top with 1 tablespoon of the braising liquid.