HappyCook80's Recipe

Japanese Yakitori

Category: Recipes

Japanese Yakitori

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
2 pounds slender young leeks, 8 or 9 in all or substitute 2 bunches thick green onions, trimmed of roots, white parts cut into 2 inch pieces and green parts cut into 4 inch pieces and folded in half
1/2 cup each soy sauce, sake and mirin (sweet rice wine) or cream sherry
3 tablespoons sugar
3 slices, 1/4 inch thick fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 green onions, white and green parts, trimmed and coarsely chopped
wooden skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

Rinse the chicken under cold running water, drain and blot dry with paper towels. Cut crosswise into 2 by 2 by 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.

Cut off and discard the green parts of the leeks. Cut the white parts in
half lengthwise as far as the roots. Rinse carefully under cold running
water and drain and cut off the roots and cut each leek crosswise into 2 inch pieces.

Thread the chicken pieces crosswise on skewers, alternating with pieces of leek or green onion; you should be able to get 4 pieces of chicken on each skewer. Arrange on a platter and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to grill, up to 6 hours.

Preheat the grill to high.

Prepare the yakitori sauce, combine the soy sauce, sake, mirin or sherry, sugar, ginger, garlic and 3 green onions in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until blended and sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is glossy and syrupy and reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain into a bowl. The sauce may be made up to 6 hours ahead and refrigerated until use.

When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Arrange the skewers on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until the chicken is nicely browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side, 6 to 10 minutes total. Brush generously with the sauce at least once on each side while cooking, but not during last 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Serves 6.