Yakitori (or grilled chicken skewers) originate from Japan and has been a Japanese delicacy since the Edo period. The original dish involves grilling wild birds and is now done using mainly chicken parts.The most important thing is to get the tare correct, using a sweet and savoury sauce which is used to brush onto the chicken while it grills. That’s what gives yakitori it’s distinctive taste as compared to other types of grilled chicken.
There are also a lot of Japanese eateries and izakaya outlets selling grilled chicken parts using all parts of the bird, including chicken skin, gizzards, liver, cartilage etc, grilled and served in the same sauce. When done well, these grilled parts can be really delicious, and nice to eat along with a cup of sake. They are not cheap as they cost a few dollars a stick, but man they can be addictive delicacies that you feel like treating yourself to once in a while. My favourite? It’s got to be the grilled chicken skin and liver.
For now, I’m just going to stick to chicken thigh for my yakitori. The next time I make yakitori again, there will definitely be more variety to choose from!
Ingredients:
- Wooden skewers: 12
- Japanese soy sauce: ½ cup
- Sugar: ½ cup (90g)
- Sake: 1.5 tbsp
- Plain flour: 1 tbsp
- Chicken thigh: 6, skinless, boneless, cut into bite-sized chunks
- Leek: 2 stalks, sliced into 3cm pieces
- Spring onion: 2 stalks, sliced into 3cm pieces
Method:
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30min. Set aside.
- Combine Japanese soy sauce, sugar, sake and plain flour in pan. Bring to boil.
- Reduce to simmer. Keep stirring till ⅓ of liquid is left. Set marinade aside.
- Skewer chicken chunks alternately with leek & spring onions.
- Heat oil in pan. Place skewers onto pan and cook till ¾ cooked through.
- Brush marinade onto chicken. Cook 2min.
- Flip over and brush with marinade. Cook 2min. Repeat till chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with sichimi or on top of sushi rice.
Trick:
- Soaking the skewer sticks in water first will prevent the sticks from burning (especially important if you are grilling the chicken) and prevent the meat from sticking to the sticks too.
Disclaimer:
- The original recipe recommended for the skewers to be grilled for 5-10min on a grill but I used the pan for convenience at home. If you are using the grill, do brush the marinade directly onto the raw chicken to start grilling them.
Serving:
10-12 skewers
