Yakitori Food

YAKITORI

Steps:

• Put mirin, soy sauce, sugar and garlic, if using, into a medium-sized sauce pan, and cook over medium heat until there is only half as much sauce remaining.
• Let cool slightly while you are preparing the chicken.
• Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces; keeping the skin on is usual in Japan.
• Thread chicken onto skewers, alternating with green onion if desired.
• Begin grilling the chicken skewers on both sides without the sauce, when the meat starts changing color, brush the sauce on both sides, and continue grilling, brushing on sauce about 3 times total, and turning until done.

CHICKEN YAKITORI

Steps:

• Special equipment: 6-inch wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for at least 1 hour
• Whisk together the radish puree, mirin, sake, oil, soy and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 8 hours.
• Preheat a charcoal grill or kamado-style ceramic charcoal cooker for direct grilling over high heat.
• Using 2 skewers for each chicken thigh, thread the edges of the meat onto the skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until charred and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board.
• Whisk together the oil, rice vinegar, soy, lime juice and sugar in a large bowl and season with pepper. Pour some over the mizuna, toss to coat and mound in a large shallow serving bowl. Toss the noodles with the remaining dressing and mound in the center of the mizuna.
• Cut the chicken thighs in half down the middle between the skewers to make kebabs. Arrange the skewers spoke-like around the mizuna, chicken toward the center, drizzle with additional hot sauce and serve.

CHICKEN YAKITORI AND RICE

Steps:

• For the chicken yakitori and rice: Soak skewers in water.
• Gather ingredients.
• Place 2 cups chicken stock or broth in a saucepot, bring to boil, then add white rice and a pinch of salt. Cover and reduce heat to low, then cook 15 to 18 minutes to just tender. Fluff and leave pot covered.
• Heat a large cast-iron pan or large nonstick pan over medium-high to high heat with oil, 3 turns of the pan. Meanwhile, to a small pot add soy sauce or tamari, mirin, sake, brown sugar, grated garlic and grated ginger. Bring to a low boil and thicken a couple of minutes, then remove from heat and pour off about a third to serve; add a basting brush to pot with remainder.
• Meanwhile, cut the chicken and scallions into bite-sized pieces. Drain skewers and thread on chicken and scallions, packed firmly.
• Cook skewers in pan 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with sauce once you turn browned chicken and onions the first time. Reduce heat a bit if pan gets too smoky.
• Serve skewers on or next to white rice with Green Beans alongside.
• Gather ingredients.
• Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in deep skillet. Cut green beans into thirds.
• Place toasted sesame in bowl of mortar and pestle. Add soy or mirin or sake and sugar. Grind into paste (but some whole sesame seeds are fine), 2 minutes.
• Cook green beans in boiling water about 4 minutes to tender-crisp (add salt to water if you're not using soy). Drain in strainer and run under cool water 1 minute; drain off excess water by leaving in strainer a few minutes.
• Crumble about 4 ounces of the tofu with fingertips. Toss beans with sesame and tofu and serve.

YAKITORI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Soak the skewers in a bowl of water while you prepare everything else, to prevent them from burning. Tip the soy, mirin, sake and sugar into a small saucepan, and cook over a medium heat for about 15 mins until the sauce is glossy.
• Remove the skewers from the water and thread each one with a piece of chicken, followed by a piece of spring onion. Repeat twice more so the skewer is well stacked. Fill all four skewers.
• Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat - you want to cook the chicken fairly gently so it soaks up the sauce. Put the skewers in the pan, then brush with the sauce. Cook for 10 mins, turning regularly and brushing in all the sauce. Serve immediately.

YAKITORI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut the chicken thigh meat into 3/4 inch cubes. Cut the scallions crosswise into 3/4 inch pieces. Heat the grill. Thread chicken and scallion pieces onto the skewers, alternately.
• Make the Sauce: In a small pot combine the saki, mirin, garlic, ginger, red pepper, sugar and soy sauces. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until sauce is reduced by about one quarter.
• Grill the skewers for 2 minutes. Brush with sauce and turn, brush with sauce on the other side. Grill for 5-8 minutes more, brushing with sauce every 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and glazed.
• If you can find these ingredients, serve yakitori with sansho and Japanese 7 spice to sprinkle on top.