Japanese Chicken Skewers With Scallion Negima Yakitori Food

YAKITORI (JAPANESE SKEWERED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Add Sauce ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium or medium low and simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the quantity by about a third. (Note 6).

YAKITORI NEGIMA (JAPANESE GRILLED CHICKEN AND SCALLION SKEWERS)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Soak the bamboo skewers in a shallow dish of cold water for up to an hour, or overnight. This will prevent the skewers from burning when the yakitori is grilling. Alternatively, use metal skewers.
• Evenly divide pieces of chicken and scallions between the skewers. Set aside.
• Make the teriyaki style yakitori sauce (tare). Add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and ginger to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Prepare a medium (350°F to 375°F) gas, charcoal, or hibachi grill fire. Use half the yakitori sauce for basting, and reserve half for serving. Brush the skewered chicken and scallions generously with yakitori sauce and grill until the chicken is opaque and cooked through, turning and basting once or twice, 7 to 8 minutes total.
• Serve with the remaining yakitori sauce on the side.

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.

NEGIMA (GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH GREEN ONION)

Steps:

• Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the tare. In a broiler or on a grill, cook the chicken wings until they are charred over about half their surfaces. In a medium pot, bring the sake and mirin to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the sugar, and cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring. Add the shoyu and chicken wings, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy. Strain the sauce through a strainer lined with cotton cloth-chicken wings can be eaten as a cook's treat or saved for another purpose. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for as long as a month. Reheat the tare before using it, and once every week between uses.
• Cut the chicken thigh and breast into small pieces, about 1 by 1¼ inches. Cut the white part of each green onion into 1¼-inch lengths. Thread two pieces of chicken thigh or breasts and three pieces of long onion or leek alternately on each skewer. When using chicken with skin, folding the edges of the skin, and tuck them between the chicken meat and the long onion or leek to prevent the skin from burning.
• Heat a grill or broiler until hot. Cook the skewered chicken and green onion for 4 minutes, turning the skewers several times. Remove the chicken from the heat, and, with a pastry brush, baste it with tare.
• Return the chicken to the heat, and cook for 2 minutes, turning the skewers several times. Remove the chicken from the heat, and baste again.
• Return the chicken to the heat, and cook it for 2 minutes, turning it. Remove the chicken from the heat, baste it once more, and serve it hot.