Yakitori

Ingredients

• 1½ lbchickenThigh or breast, boneless, cut into bite-size pieces
• ½ cupsoy sauceBase of the tare glaze
• ¼ cupmirinFor gloss and sweetness in the sauce
• ⅓ cupsakeFor the sauce, also sprayed over the skewers at the end
• ½ ozsugarLets the glaze caramelize
• 5¼ ozspring onionCut into 4 cm pieces, skewered alternating with the meat
• 2 clovesgarlicFinely chopped, for the sauce
• 1 tspgingerGrated, for the marinade
• 1 tbspsesame seedsFor sprinkling over
• 2 tbspOilFor brushing and frying
• saltTo season the skewers
• 8Bamboo skewersSoak for 20 minutes before use
• 2 tbsphoneyAlternative sweetener in the marinade (optional)
• 8dried shiitakeStems trimmed, grilled on separate skewers (optional)
• Shichimi togarashiServed at the table for seasoning (optional)

Method

1. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes so they don't burn on the grill.
2. For the tare, bring the soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar to a boil with the finely chopped garlic and the grated ginger. Let it reduce for about 8 minutes, until slightly syrupy, then take it off the heat and leave it to cool.
3. Trim the chicken and cut it into even pieces of about 2.5 cm. If you like, marinate the meat in some of the cooled sauce for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Cut the spring onions into pieces about 4 cm long. Thread the chicken and spring onion onto the skewers, alternating and pushed close together, with no gaps.
5. Brush the skewers lightly with oil and grill them over high heat, or cook them in a hot pan, turning them several times.
6. Towards the end, brush them repeatedly with the tare and keep cooking until the glaze caramelizes and the chicken is cooked through — 8 to 10 minutes in total.
7. Spray the finished skewers with sake, season with a little salt and scatter sesame seeds over them.
8. Serve immediately, with the remaining tare in a small bowl alongside. Shiitake, stems trimmed, can be grilled on skewers of their own.

Tips and variations

Instead of shoyu tare, try a miso marinade with yuzu zest, sesame seeds and sesame oil, finished with grated yuzu and a squeeze of the juice — or a green version made from basil, parsley, pine nuts, olive oil and roasted garlic, served with a lemon wedge. Alternatively, marinate the meat for several hours or overnight in 2 tbsp honey with lime, or in teriyaki sauce. Grilled plain with just oil and salt, the skewers are good with soy sauce and wasabi. In an air fryer they work at 200 °C, twice for 4 minutes, with a coat of sauce in between. For a bigger gathering, add skewers of shiitake, shishito and quail eggs, and put shichimi togarashi on the table so everyone can season their own. The tare keeps for about three months in the fridge, so it's worth making a double batch.