Chop the ginger and shallots; roughly crush the black peppercorns.
Moisten the sugar. With a spoon, arrange the sugar in an even layer in a saucepan. Heat the sugar over moderate heat, keeping an eye on it. Once it begins browning at the edges (caramelizing), tilt the saucepan and continue to cook over very low heat - stirring as little as possible - until it takes on a nice, mellow brown color. Be careful not to burn it!
Turn off the heat, and carefully add the fish sauce. Be very careful, as the caramel may start to splatter.
Add the chicken, shallots, black pepper and ginger. Mix well and bring to a boil.
Cover the saucepan and cook for 7-10 minutes or until the wings are completely done; they will take on a beautiful deep amber color.
Remove the chicken wings from the pan, and place them on a baking plate. With a spoon, scoop just a bit of the caramel sauce, making sure to include some of the glazed shallots and a couple of peppercorns on each chicken piece.
Place the chicken in a preheated oven and grill at 250C (480F) for 5 minutes or until the skin begins to get crispy.
Move the wings to a serving dish, drizzle more of the caramel sauce on each wing - and serve!