Yakitori

Ingredients

• •1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• •4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• •1/2 cup soy sauce
• •1/4 cup mirin
• •1/4 cup sake
• •2 tbsp sugar
• •1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for serving
• •Shichimi togarashi, for serving

Steps

1. 1.Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced by about a third and slightly syrupy, 8-10 minutes; let the tare cool.
2. 2.Thread the chicken and green onion pieces alternately onto skewers (negima-style), about 4-5 pieces of chicken per skewer.
3. 3.Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat - traditionally over binchotan charcoal for a smoky char, though a very hot grill pan works well at home.
4. 4.Grill the skewers completely unmarinated, turning occasionally, until the chicken begins to char and is nearly cooked through, 6-8 minutes - yakitori gets no marinade at all before grilling, unlike most skewered chicken dishes.
5. 5.Dip or brush the skewers into the tare, return to the grill for about 30 seconds per side to let the sauce caramelize, then repeat the dip-and-grill once or twice more, finishing with a final glaze.
6. 6.Sprinkle with sesame seeds and shichimi togarashi, and serve hot straight off the grill.