Recipe: Yakitori Barbecue Chicken

Yakitori Barbecue Chicken
Source: Top Barbecue Chef Stephen Raichlen
For speed and convenience, use boneless breasts, my first choice here. Serve with Grilled Rice Cakes, Spicy Japanese Bean Sprout Salad, or Sesame Spinach.

Special Equipment 16 short bamboo skewers, soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover and drained, or more as needed.

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
2 pounds slender young leeks (8 or 9 in all, see Notes)
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine) or cream sherry
3 tablespoons sugar
3 slices fresh ginger (each 1/2 inch thick)
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed and coarsely chopped

Rinse the chicken breasts or thighs under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Cut crosswise into pieces 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and thick. Set aside while you prepare the leeks.

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

Thread the chicken pieces crosswise on the skewers, alternating with pieces of leek; you should be able to get 4 pieces of chicken on each skewer. Arrange the skewers 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, saki. Mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic and scallions in a small heavy saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring until blended and the 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 (see Notes).

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 in all). Brush the yakitori generously with the sauce at least once on each side while cooking, but not during the last 3 minutes.

Transfer the skewers to serving plates or a platter and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6