Yardbirds Yuzu Miso Marinated Chicken Tender Yakitori Food

YARDBIRD'S YUZU MISO-MARINATED CHICKEN TENDER YAKITORI

Steps:

• Prepare the marinade by placing the barley miso, mirin, sake, yuzu skin, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and soy sauce in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Carefully remove the small tendon from the underside of each chicken fillet by running the tip of the knife blade just under the visible part of the tendon. Place the fillet on the cutting board. Pinching the end, run the knife along the tendon in a downward motion until removed. Repeat on the remaining fillets. Place in a shallow baking dish, and cover with the marinade, tossing to coat completely. Marinate for 1-2 hours.
• Starting at the wider end, cut each chicken fillet into three pieces to make a total of six pieces. Move one of the larger end pieces to the side of the smaller pieces. Starting with the smaller pieces at the bottom of the skewer, pinch the meat so the rounded, smooth side faces up. Insert the skewer directly through the middle of the meat. Continue skewering the rest of the fillet pieces, working up in size, keeping the smooth side of the meat facing up. Repeat until you have five identical skewers, each weigh about 1½ ounces each.
• Start with the smooth side down over high heat, grilling until light brown, 1-2 minutes. Rotate ¼ turn, cook on each side until lightly colored, about 1 minute per side. Once three sides are colored, finish cooking on the last side until light brown, 1-2 minutes. Spray with sake and lightly season with salt to finish. Garnish with yuzu zest and a squeeze of fresh yuzu juice.

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.

CHICKEN YAKITORI

Steps:

• Soak bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes (or use metal skewers).
• While the skewers soak, make the shoyu tare. Combine the sake, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat, then stir in 1 cup soy sauce. Heat until just simmering, about 3 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. The shoyu tare can be stored in a nonreactive glass or metal container in a cool, dry place or the refrigerator for about 3 months.
• Skewer 2 or 3 pieces of chicken and 2 or 3 pieces of onion, alternating, on each skewer. Start with the larger pieces of meat so they end up at the tip, which will cook more quickly. Make sure there are no gaps between the meat and onions, as bamboo skewers will burn in the gaps. Skewer the vegetables and eggs on their own skewers, about 3 or 4 pieces per skewer, depending on the size of the vegetables.
• Heat a bichotan (or charcoal fire) grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high, or preheat the broiler. Lightly baste the chicken with the oil. Grill the chicken and onions for 3-4 minutes, turning the skewers several times, until the chicken and onions begin to char. Remove the chicken from the heat and baste with the shoyu tare.
• Return the chicken to the heat and cook for 2 more minutes, turning the skewers several times. Remove from heat and baste again. Repeat one more time, until the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred, about 8-10 minutes total. Lay the skewered vegetables and quail eggs on the grill and brush them with oil. Grill the vegetables and eggs, turning them over several times, until the vegetables are soft and charred, 5-8 minutes (the vegetables have different cooking times, so monitor each type for desired doneness). Brush them with the shoyu tare or season them at the table.
• Serve the chicken, eggs, and vegetables with shichimi togarashi, sansho pepper, yuzu kosho, and salt.

YARDBIRD'S GREEN MISO CHICKEN BREAST SKEWERS

Steps:

• Make the green miso marinade. Place the basil, parsley, and pine nuts in a blender and blend at high speed until smooth. While the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil, pouring it in a steady stream, until it is blended together. Add the miso soup and roasted garlic and blend again until smooth.
• Trim any excess fat from the outside of the chicken breast. Cut the the thin end of the breast into a 2-inch (5-cm) wide piece. Cut the remaining piece lengthwise. Then cut the resulting lengths in half. Cut the pieces of breast so that you end up with 25 even bite-sized rectangular pieces. Starting with the thinnest pieces of meat, pinch the meat so that the shiny side faces up and skewer directly through the middle of the meat. Repeat, being sure that the shiny side is facing up and that you are skewering directly through the middle of the meat, until you end up with five skewers with five chunks of chicken per skewer. Each skewer should weigh about 1½ ounces.
• Place the prepared skewers in a shallow baking dish in a single layer. Cover with the prepared marinade, cover, and chill for at least one hour.
• Start with the smooth-side down over high heat, grilling until light brown, 2-3 minutes. Rotate ¼ turn, cook on each side until lightly colored, about 1 minute per side. Once three sides are colored, finish cooking on the last side until dark brown, about 2 minutes. Spray with sake and lightly season with salt to finish. Garnish by adding one lemon wedge to each skewer before serving.