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1
Prepare the lollipops: With a knife or kitchen shears, cut the skin and tendons around the bottom (the narrow end) of each drummette.
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2
Use a paring knife to scrape the meat from to bottom toward the top of the bone to form a lollipop shape; make sure the bone is scraped completely clean.
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3
Make the brine: To a saucepan, add 1 1/2 cups water and the vinegar, honey, salt, soy sauce, peppercorns, pepper flakes, garlic, star anise, bay leaf and ginger.
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4
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
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5
Pour the brine into a large bowl and add 1 1/2 cups ice to cool it down quickly.
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6
Add the chicken lollipops to the brine, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
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7
Remove the chicken and pat dry.
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8
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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9
Prepare the dry rub: In a large bowl, combine the five-spice powder, garlic, ginger, mustard, paprika, salt and cayenne.
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10
Mix well to blend.
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11
Set aside 1 tablespoon of the rub for later use in sauce, then add the chicken and coat thoroughly with the rub.
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12
Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet, transfer to the oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the skin begins to turn golden.
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13
(This helps render some of the fat, so the drummettes fry up nice and crispy.)
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14
Remove from oven and set aside.
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15
While the drummettes are cooking, prepare the sauce: To a medium saute pan, add the sweet soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, honey, pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons water.
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16
Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook until the sauce has reduced by a third or so, about 10 minutes.
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17
Stir in the reserved tablespoon of the dry rub and keep warm while you fry the wings.
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18
Fill a large, heavy pot with 2 to 3 inches of oil, and heat to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat.
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19
Working in batches, fry the chicken wings in the oil until brown and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes.
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20
With a spider or slotted spoon, remove the fried chicken to a large mixing bowl.
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21
Add the sauce to the chicken and toss to coat.
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22
Transfer the chicken lollipops to a serving platter and garnish with the red pepper, scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds.
