Yakitori (Japanese Chicken Skewers)

A tasty snack or a light meal. 

Preparation time 45 minutes (including marinating time)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

Marinade: 

• 1/4 cup sake
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Chicken:

• 500g skinless thigh fillets

Spring onion:

• 4 large white part only

Skewers:

• 8 x 15cm bamboo skewers

Equipment:

• Medium or large zip lock bag
• Small saucepan
• Barbecue, chargrill pan, charcoal grill

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Instructions:

1. Soak skewers in water for around half an hour. This prevents the wood burning during cooking.

2. Mix mirin, soy sauce, sake, and sugar into a small sauce pan and cook for  around 8 minutes or until the marinade reduces by a third and becomes thick and glossy. Allow to cool.

3. Reserve 1/3  cup for basting during cooking and another 1/3 cup of marinate to be used as a dipping sauce when served.

4. Cut chicken thighs into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes as best you can and place into zip lock back. It is better for the chicken slices to be on the smaller side and that they are consistent in size. This really helps with cooking.

5. Add marinade to chick in bag and massage the marinade into the chicken until all the chicken is coated.

6. Place chicken in fridge for 30 minutes.

7. Remove the greens from the spring onions (shallots) and cut remaining into 2.5cm lengths or the same size at the chicken pieces.

8. Thread the chicken and the spring onion onto the skewers. alternate 3 pieces of chicken (approx) with each piece of onion.

9. Heat you BBQ,  grill pan or charcoal grill to a medium high heat.

10. Cook skewers for approximately 8 minutes turning frequently and add baste frequently with reserved marinade.

11. Check that chicken is properly cooked by cutting into one of the larger pieces of chicken.  The outside of the chicken should be slightly charred and caramelised.

12. Coat one last time with marinade and serve with dipping sauce.