FEATURED RECIPES
• Japanese Yakitori Chicken
• Filipino Chicken Adobo
• Korean Chicken Wings
• Tuscan Chicken Liver Toast
Here is one of the recipes for you to try at home!
YAKITORI CHICKEN
Serves 4 to 6
The Japanese term yakitori literally means “grilled bird,” and refers to skewers of chicken barbecued over a charcoal grill. Commonly served in casual, inexpensive izakayas, Japanese bars and beer gardens with food beyond the usual bar snacks.
Traditional yakitori employs a wide range of poultry parts from meat to necks, to offal such as livers, gizzards and hearts, meatballs and skin. You could also skewer and grill shiitake mushrooms, small shishito peppers and more. Traditionally green onions are part of the mix. It’s a quick and easy dish to prepare once you have a batch of tare prepared.
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin (rice wine) or rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon peeled and sliced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
4 green onions, green and white parts, cut into 2-inch lengths
Sansho or togarashi pepper blend
Lemon wedges
Procedures
Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to 375ºF. Make sure the grill rack is clean and oil it thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, garlic and ginger. Add the chicken and mushrooms and marinate for a few minutes.
Reserving the marinade, remove the chicken and vegetables from the bowl. Separately thread the chicken, mushrooms and green onions onto skewers. Keeping them separate enables you to control cooking better.
Pour the marinade into a saucepan to make the tare sauce and boil for 8 minutes or so or until lightly thickened to use as a basting and serving sauce. Strain and set aside.
Transfer the skewers to the prepared grill rack over direct heat. Cook, basting often with the sauce, five minutes per side, until the chicken is starting to brown on the edges and the vegetables are soft and charred at the edges.
Transfer the skewers to a heated platter, drizzle with a little sauce, and serve sprinkled with a little sansho or togarashi pepper blend and lemon wedges to squeeze over.