Yakitori
Yakitori is grilled, skewered chicken. It can be made with any part of the chicken, which I learned from my colleagues when they took me to one of those Yakitori stalls under the train tracks in Yurakucho, popular with the local “sarariman”.
Nadine's easy yakitori recipe.
Place 3 chicken wings under oven broiler until crispy then place in sauce pot with:
½ cup sake
½ cup mirin (a type of sweet sake)
5 Tlbs. sugar (or substitute brown sugar or honey)
¼ cup soy sauce
Boil together until the consistency of maple syrup (about 30 minutes to 1 hour).
Meanwhile cut (uncooked) chicken breast into bit size pieces, cut spring onion (scallion) or leek into 1 inch pieces. Skewer alternating pieces of chicken and onion. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water first so they don't burn.
Once the yakitori sauce is ready, brush skewered chicken with sauce. Place under the broiler (or on a grill) and brush a few times while cooking.
Serve with shichimi (7 spice powder), rice, miso soup, and salad or Japanese pickles; beer or hot sake.
Variation: vegetable yakitori. Skewer asparagus, shitake mushrooms, or green peppers. Brush with yakitori sauce and grill.
Those boiled wings are yummy (“oishi”) too.
If you can't find the ingredients in your local grocery store try the Ethnic Grocer
Comments
Sounds great! Can be very good on the BBQ.
by Delboy | 07.13.03 @ 01:36 PM
I'm not sure how much Japanese you know but Yakitori is one kind of Kushiyaki. Kushi means skewer, yaki means cooked. Kushi is probably the single easist kanji to remember. It looks like this
串
exactly like a almost any Kushiyaki :-)
by GMan | 07.14.03 @ 03:08 AM
For extra yumminess, I like to use brown sugar (better) or honey (best) in my sauce. Yum!!!
by Shaun | 07.14.03 @ 06:02 PM
GMan, I love that you showed me the Kushi kanji - it looks just like skewered meats. I will never forget it.
by Nadine | 07.20.03 @ 12:47 PM
mirin is a sort of sake, not vinagar
by james | 07.21.03 @ 03:31 AM
Shaun, I added your tip to the recipe.
James, you are absolutely right. My mistake. I will fix it.
Thanks!
by Nadine | 07.21.03 @ 10:07 AM
Nadine, had lunch with your mother, Aunt Mary and 13 others on Saturday. Many laughs and lots of noise. Aunt Mary turned 60! So now she is MUCH OLDER than your mother.
by Ruth | 08.08.03 @ 04:55 AM
I was introduced to yakitori/kushiyaki when I was in Japan a few years ago. Since I'm not a fish fan, I was really pleased with the discovery of chicken and vegetables on skewers. I was even more pleased to discover the hot peppery powder that was served with the yakitori. Unfortunately I used the whole lot up, not realising it was for the table... Oh well :)
Yakitori (as it seems to be commonly referred to) doesn't seem to be widely known where I live, but I've found one Japanese restaurant that serves many different styles, so I'm happy!
by David | 08.08.03 @ 01:55 PM