A sweet glaze of soy sauce, sake, and the Japanese cooking wine mirin coats these tender chunks of chicken. Thigh meat is preferable because it stands up better to high-heat grilling. As for the sake, most of the alcohol evaporates when the glaze is brought to a boil. To round out the meal, serve the skewers with jasmine rice and a cool, crunchy Asian slaw.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mirin (found in ethnic food stores and many larger supermarkets)
- 4 tablespoons sake (you can substitute unseasoned rice wine vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced into 1-inch lengths (about 5 pieces per scallion, using both white and pale green parts) 12 (9-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Instructions
- Whisk 2 tablespoons each of the soy sauce, mirin, and sake in a large bowl. Add the chicken, toss gently to coat, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1/4 cup each of the soy sauce and mirin, and 2 tablespoons each of the sake and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer until the glaze is slightly thickened and glossy, about 15 minutes.
- Prepare your grill or heat a grill pan to medium-high. Lightly oil the grates or pan.
- Thread 4 chunks of chicken and 3 pieces of scallion onto each skewer, alternating the meat and vegetable. Discard the marinade.
- Grill the skewers until seared on both sides and just cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, brush the skewers with the glaze on both sides, turning them often so the glaze doesn?t burn (move the skewers to a cooler part of the grill, if necessary). Brush the skewers with the glaze a second time in the final minute of cooking. When finished, the chicken and scallions should be deeply glazed. Serves 4.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (3 skewers):
Calories 397
Total Fat 9 g (14% DV)
Saturated Fat 2 g (11% DV)
Cholesterol 188 mg (63% DV)
Sodium 1,085 mg (45% DV)
Total Carbohydrate 25 g (8% DV)
Fiber 0.7 g (3% DV)
Sugars 20 g
Protein 47 g (93% DV)
Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Food , Recipes