23 Japanese yakitori chicken (焼き鳥)

Yakitori chicken is probably my favourite izakaya food. Simple&tasty, there is no need for more.
Yakitori translates as grilled chicken, served on a skewer. There are quite a few kinds of yakitori, the one I made at home is bite-sized pieces of chicken thighs with scallions.
Very easy and quick to make, good idea for a party food.

INGREDIENTS
15 bamboo skewers
500g boneless chicken thighs
10 scallions
vegetable oil

for the yakitori sauce (tare)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup water
2 tsp brown sugar

HOW TO MAKE?
1. Soak bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill in the oven, high temperature.
3. Prepare the sauce. Add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, water, sugar and the green part of one scallion into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat once boiling and let it simmer for another 10 minutes until it thickens. The sauce should be reduced by half and quite thick. Set aside.
4. Cut the white and light green part of the scallions into small pieces. Cut the chicken in small cubes.
5. Now pinch the piece of chicken by each end, squeezing it together. Then pierce through to hold the shape.

6. After each chicken piece, put a piece of scallion on the skewer. Grease an oven tray with some oil (to prevent skewers sticking to it while grilling) and place your prepared skewers on top.

7. Put the tray with skewers in the oven and grill for about 5-7 minutes. After that time, brush the sauce on both sides of the skewer and continue grilling for another 5 minutes (if you have a nice grill in your oven it won’t take that long).