Chicken yakitori recipe

To make this meat on skewers dish, the Japanese cooks often use chicken thigh meat, but you can tailor this dish to suit your tastes. For a tasty, healthier alternative you could try using chicken breast meat, peppers, fried tofu or even asparagus wrapped in bacon (although sadly we can’t claim that bacon is a health food). Read on below and get ready to impress at your next dinner party.

 

Ingredients

For the chicken skewers

800g chicken thighs (skinned and diced)

150g ginger

5 cloves of garlic

½ bunch of spring onions

200ml mirin

1tbsp salt

60ml soy sauce

For the pickle brine and red cabbage

80ml Sarsons Pickling Malt Vinegar

80ml water

50ml mirin

100g honey

100g salt

1 clove of garlic

50g ginger

1tbsp chilli flakes (optional)

½ head red cabbage

For the coriander sauce

100g coriander

½tbsp rice vinegar

25ml water

100ml olive oil

½ clove of garlic

A pinch chilli flakes (optional)

A pinch of salt (to taste)

For the ginger dressing

½ clove of garlic

12.5g ginger

25ml mirin

90ml soy sauce

40ml rice vinegar

For the slaw

2 Carrots

¼ head red cabbage

¼ head white cabbage

50g toasted sesame seeds

 

Method

Make the pickle brine two days before. To do this, peel the ginger and then blend together with the garlic and chilli flakes. Add to a saucepan with all other ingredients, and put on a medium heat until it comes to a rolling boil. Take off the heat and allow 24 hours to cool completely. Grate ½ head of red cabbage, add to the cooled brine and place in fridge. Use from 24 hours up until two weeks after making, for a richer more flavor layered pickle.

Marinade the chicken in the pickle brine for 24 hours, before skewering and grilling. Soak the skewers in water for 40 minutes beforehand to avoid burning (if wooden).

For the dressing, peel all the ginger, and blend together the ginger and garlic with the mirin until it turns into a paste. Add the other ingredients. This can be prepared a day before serving to infuse with greater flavour.

Grate the carrots and cabbage, and add dressing and toasted sesame seeds 15 minutes before serving, to allow it to marinate and take on the fresh flavours of the dressing.

In a blender, blend coriander, garlic, vinegar, and water. Slowly add olive oil. Tip into a bowl and add salt and chilli flakes to taste before giving this a good mix.

Grill the chicken skewers on a hot charcoal grill for six minutes each side, or until cooked through, or alternatively in an electric grill oven at 180°C, for five minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Serve the chicken skewers over a bed of the refreshing slaw, with the pickles and coriander sauce on the side.