Chicken Yakitori recipe – the word yakitori literally means grilled (or roasted) chicken (or some other fowl), and as a recipe has been around in near enough the same form for over 400 years.
Some of the sauce is used to baste the skewered meat during cooking, and the remainder is drizzled over the kebabs as they are served.
It makes an unusual BBQ chicken recipe. Serves about 6 people.
Ingredients
- 500g/generous pound of chicken wings, cut into pieces at the joints
- 375ml/1 1/2 cups of Japanese soy sauce
- 375ml/1 1/2 cups Mirin (Sweet Cooking Rice Wine) (might be available in supermarkets, or try an Asian deli).
- 250ml/1 cup sake
- 55g/1/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 3 tsp Arrowroot Powder
- 500g/1 pound chicken thighs
- 4/5 spring onions/scallions, cut into 1 inch segments
Method
- Cook the chicken wings on the grill until they start to blacken, then set aside.
- Put the mirin and sake into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Then add the soy and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then add the wings, bring it all to the boil, and simmer for 30 mins.
- Pick out the wings, stir in the arrowroot. Bring the sauce back to the boil and stir it until it becomes thick and glaze-like. Turn off the heat and let it cool before using it.
- Cut the thighs into 1-inch cubes as best you can, and thread them onto bamboo skewers – alternating chunks of meat with the spring onion.
- Grill the skewered meat over high heat for a few minutes, literally 3-4 minutes, turning regularly and often.
- At this point brush them with the sauce. Cook for a further couple of minutes, after which the will be ready.
- Put them on a serving dish, and drizzle with more of the sauce.