So popular are these chicken skewers that in their home country they have whole take-out shops – or yakitoriya – dedicated to serving them. This version is flavoured with a classic soy-based tare sauce, a sweet sauce for grilled food. It’s traditional to cook these over a charcoal grill, and a barbecue is certainly the best way flavour-wise, but a ridged griddle pan will also give you tasty results.
Makes: 8 skewers, serves 4
Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 600g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm cubes
- 6 spring onions, cut into 2cm lengths
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the tare sauce
- 100ml soy sauce
- 100ml mirin
- 100ml sake
- 1cm piece fresh root ginger, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons soft brown sugar
You will need
Eight metal or bamboo skewers (if using bamboo, soak in cold water for an hour to prevent them from burning)
Method
For the tare sauce, add all the ingredients to a small saucepan set over a medium-low heat and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer steadily until reduced by half in volume, about 15–20 minutes. Divide between two small dishes and set aside to cool. One dish is used as a dipping sauce, the other to glaze the skewers as they cook.
Dividing them prevents contamination from the raw meat as you are brushing with the glaze.
Thread the chicken and spring onions onto the skewers and brush all over with a little vegetable oil.
Fire up a barbecue until hot, or set a large ridged griddle pan over a high heat on the hob, then lay on the skewers. Take one of the bowls of sauce and, using a brush, glaze the top of the skewers. After a couple of minutes turn the skewers over and brush with more sauce. Keep on turning and brushing the kebabs with sauce until cooked, around 10–12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Serve the Yakitori Chicken Skewers immediately with the second dish of sauce for dipping.
Also read: Quick Vegetable Stir-Fry with Tofu
Recipe from MasterChef Street Food of the World by Genevieve Taylor
