Chicken Yakitori

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
For yakitori:
600g chicken thigh (boneless & skinless ), cut into 1 inch square piece
1 large red pepper, cut into 2cm, 1 inch square
1 large green pepper, cut into 2cm, 1 inch square
12-16 bamboo skewers
red chili or sansyo pepper

For teriyaki sauce:
1 & 1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
1. Remove the skin of the chicken thigh by pulling away from the meat. Trim away any excess fat and sinews. Place the thigh with the bone side up and feel for the thigh bone, feel for the bone and score using a sharp knife along either side of the bone until the bone is revealed. Slide your knife in underneath the bone and cut away, try not to remove too much of the flesh. Cut the chicken thigh into 2cm, 1 inch pieces.

2. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a mixing bowl. Pour half of the sauce into a marinating dish and put the chicken in. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight is best.

3. Reduce the other half of the sauce in a saucepan over a low heat. Simmer until the sauce has reduced in half and is sticky and thick enough to brush over the cooked chicken (approx. 30 minutes).

4. Preheat the oven to highest possible heat. Line a large baking tray with a large piece of tin foil, make an inch fold in the foil to cover the skewer ends.

5. Prepare your yakitori sticks by first putting on the chicken, weave the chicken in so that it is pierced twice by the stick. Alternate between chicken and pepper pieces and finish with a chicken piece. Place the skewer on the baking tray making sure they are 1 cm, 1/2 and inch apart. Cover the bare stick with the foil fold, see video.

6. Cook for 10 minutes then turn over and brush with the reduced teriyaki sauce and put back into the oven to cook for further 4 minutes. Cook the chicken quickly to make sure that it doesn’t dry out.

7. Assemble skewers on each dish and brush them with Teriyaki sauce. Serve immediately with sansyo pepper or red chilli pepper.