Yakitori

Soak the skewers

If using wooden skewers, cover them with water and leave for 30 minutes. Dry skewers will burn in the pan along with the meat.

Reduce the tare sauce

In a small pot combine soy sauce (120 ml), mirin (japanese rice wine) (120 ml) and sake or dry white wine (60 ml). Add sugar (2 łyżka), crushed garlic clove (1 szt) and grated fresh ginger (10 g). Simmer over medium heat for about 12 minutes until the sauce reduces by half and looks like a thin syrup. It needs to be sticky — this is what caramelizes on the meat and gives yakitori its classic glaze.

Reduce the tare sauce

12:00

Start

Cut the meat and scallions

Cut boneless skinless chicken thighs (800 g) into bite-sized pieces, about 3 cm. Cut the white part of spring onion (4 szt) into 3 cm pieces — discard the green part or save it for garnish or another dish.

Thread the skewers

Alternate boneless skinless chicken thighs (800 g) and spring onion (4 szt) on each skewer, starting and ending with chicken. Press the pieces tightly together — gaps cause the meat to dry out.

Sear the skewers

Heat a 28 cm cm pan over medium-high. Add rapeseed oil (2 łyżka) and lay down the skewers. Cook 3-4 minutes on one side without moving them, until boneless skinless chicken thighs (800 g) forms a golden crust, then flip and cook the other side 3-4 minutes. Goal: meat almost done, no glaze yet.

Sear the skewers

08:00

Start

Glaze and caramelize

Reduce heat to medium. Pour half of the reduced sauce from step 2 (referenced here as soy sauce (120 ml)) over the skewers. Turn them every 30 seconds for about 3 minutes, adding the rest of the sauce. The sauce should evaporate and form a glossy, sticky layer on the meat.

Glaze and caramelize

03:00

Start

Serve

Plate the skewers, scatter with sesame seeds (1 łyżka) and the finely sliced green part of spring onion for garnish (1 szt). Best eaten immediately with a bowl of rice.