Chicken on a Skewer (yakitori) Recipe
October 24, 2008 in Recipes by danky
Yakitori at its simplest is a chicken shish kabab with a very Japanese
flavor. Pieces of dark meat are served either by themselves, neatly speared
onto the ends of small bamboo skewers (three makes a serving), or
interspersed with bits of green bell pepper or scallion. As the meat is
grilled, it is dipped into a sweetened soy-based sauce. The servings are
tantalizingly small, but you can have as many as you want. If you are hungry
enough for a full meal, you can serve yakitori on a bowl of rice with tea and
pickles on the side.
Makes 4 main course servings, or up to 8 with drinks.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 medium chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks), boned
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 8 tablespoons japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
- 4 tablespoons sake
- 3 tablespoons sugar
DIRECTIONS 1. Cut the boneless chicken leg meat into 1-inch chunks. If some skin
separates from the meat, discard it; leave any skin that clings naturally.
Halve, core and deseed the bell pepper, then cut it into 1-inch squares.
2. Thread two pieces of meat on to a skewer followed by a piece of bell
pepper. If you are preparing bamboo skewers, Japanese-style, push the meat to
one end and keep alternating two pieces of meat with a piece of pepper until
you have loaded about 3 inches of each skewer. If you are using long metal
skewers, you can thread their entire length, leaving each end empty. Thread
all the meat in this way, using as many skewers as required. Cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
3. Meanwhile combine the soy sauce, sake, and sugar in a small pan and bring
to a boil. Lower the heat and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Preheat an indoor broiler or an outdoor charcoal grill. Position the
skewers 4 to 5 inches from the heat source and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on
each side or until the meat is three-quarters cooked. Brush with the sauce
and grill briefly on both sides until the meat is almost done. Brush with the
sauce a second time and grill for another 30 seconds on each side. Serve hot.