Asian Ginger Chicken Skewers Food

LIME-GINGER CHICKEN KABOBS WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks, and sprinkle with salt.
• Stir mayonnaise, lime zest, ginger, salt, and pepper for the marinade in a bowl until smooth. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag, add marinade, seal, and massage the bag until all the chicken pieces are coated. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
• Soak 6-inch wooden skewers in a bowl of water for at least 30 minutes.
• Whisk peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, and sambal oelek together in a bowl. Slowly whisk in small amounts of warm water until dipping sauce reaches the desired consistency; set aside.
• Heat the grill to medium-high and oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from the marinade and thread chicken onto the skewers; discard marinade.
• Place skewers on the hot grill and cook until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, 10 to 12 minutes, lowering the heat if chicken is browning too fast. Turn skewers as often as necessary for even browning, and to keep the chicken from burning.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh lime wedges and peanut sauce for dipping.

CHINESE CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into 1 - 1.5" pieces.
• Combine the Marinade ingredients in a bowl.
• Add the chicken and set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
• Thread chicken onto skewers.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet (big enough to fit the skewers) over medium high heat.
• Cook half the skewers for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until deep golden brown, using spatula to press them so they cook through evenly. Repeat with remaining skewers.
• Serve immediately, garnished with finely sliced scallions.

YAKITORI (JAPANESE CHICKEN SKEWERS)

Steps:

• Marinade: Smash and peel garlic cloves, then place in a small saucepan. Slice unpeeled ginger into coins (about 5 slices); add to the saucepan, followed by the mirin, soy sauce, and honey. Over medium-high heat, bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent honey from burning; allow to simmer for about 1 minute. Set aside to cool by placing into a large skillet filled with cold water.
• Trim root ends from scallions; then cut the white and light green parts into 1-inch pieces. (Reserve green stalks for garnish.) Set aside. Slice each chicken thigh into 4 equal pieces. If using skewers, thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, alternating with pieces of scallion.
• Place skewers on a rimmed baking sheet and pour marinade to coat chicken and scallions. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (and up to 3-4 hours), flipping the skewers in the marinade every 5-7 minutes. (Note: Chicken can be marinated the day before and stored, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.) While chicken marinates, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat grill pan over high heat, 5-10 minutes (time will vary, depending on pan). Reserving the marinade, place chicken skewers on the hot grill and cook for 2-3 minutes; place a heavy plate or skillet on the chicken and press down to create grill marks. Flip skewers and repeat, 2-3 more minutes. Place the chicken, still in the grill pan, in the oven and bake, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, finish the sauce.
• Pour the marinade back into a saucepan and add the miso. Bring to a boil (which will kill off any bacteria from the raw chicken) and reduce slightly, 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove grill pan from oven and transfer skewers to a plate. When the sauce has reduced, brush it over the chicken. Slice reserved scallion greens and sprinkle over the skewers before serving.

SPICY CUMIN CHICKEN HEART SKEWERS

Steps:

• To make the chicken hearts: Butterfly the chicken hearts by slicing them lengthwise, cutting deeply without cutting them entirely in half.
• Smash the green onions and ginger with clean hands to release their flavors.
• Add the smashed green onions and ginger, along with the Sichuan peppercorns, five-spice powder, cooking wine, and salt to a container along with 1 cup (240 ml) water to make a marinade.
• Add the chicken hearts to the marinade and stir well to combine. Cover the container with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Any longer and you risk over-marinating.
• To grill and serve: Thread 5 chicken hearts onto each skewer. The skewers may be kept refrigerated, covered, before cooking for no longer than 2 hours.
• Prepare a robata or other grill with charcoal that has turned ashy gray and is smoldering hot but not actively emitting flames. Set the skewers down on the grill surface and cook for 2 minutes, then flip over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. When the meat tightens up and oil begins to seep out, it is almost done. At this point, brush the oil on one side of the meat, then sprinkle half of the cumin, red chili powder, and salt, to taste, on top.
• Flip the skewers over and season the other side in the same way. Flip the skewers once more and toast the newly seasoned side for about 30 seconds. Cook for about a minute or so more on each side.
• Remove the cooked skewers to a plate, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
• Note: When brushing oil and sauce on the meat while over the fire, do so sparingly, dabbing off any excess, so it doesn't drip onto the flames. If at any point the flames flare up, remove the skewers from the grill until the flames die down.