Yakitori

 

 

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

42 mins

 

Author: Namiko Chen

Serves: 11 Skewers

Ingredients

• 10-12 5-inch bamboo skewers
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, at room temperature
• 9 scallions
• Vegetable oil

Yakitori Sauce (Tare)

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup mirin
• ¼ cup sake
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tsp. packed brown sugar
  

Instructions

1. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.
   
2. In a small saucepan, add the mirin, soy sauce, sake, water, brown sugar, and the green part of 1 scallion, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by half. It will take about 30 minutes. The sauce will be thicker and glossy. Let it cool to room temperature before using. Reserve ⅓ of the sauce in a small bowl for final coating.
   
3. Cut the white and light green part of scallions into 1 inch pieces.
   
4. Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes.
   
5. On a flat work surface, fold each slice of chicken in half, insert into chicken at 45 degrees angle, and press down on the skewer to pierce thorough the center.
   
6. Alternate each chicken slice with a piece of scallion lined up perpendicular to the skewer. Each skewer will hold about 4 chicken slices and 3 scallion pieces.
   
7. Grease the grate of the broiler/wire rack (or oven-safe cooling rack) to avoid the chicken sticking on the grate. Place the skewers on top.
   
8. Set the broiler to high and wait until the heating elements are hot. Broil for 6 minutes.
   
9. After 6 minutes, brush the sauce on the meat on both sides and continue to broil for 3-4 minutes to caramelize the sauce.
   
10. Transfer the skewers to a serving plate and brush the chicken on top with the reserved sauce (with a clean brush).
    

Notes

If the sauce for final coating came in contact with the raw chicken, you have to need to boil the sauce again to avoid contamination.

personal notes by qiqi: I made it today using the gizzards only, the texture is a bit on the tough side.

Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. All credits and image goes to the site above.