It's a well-known fact that everything tastes better on a stick -- corn, hotdogs, even apples. So it's hardly surprising that an American following has developed for yakitori, a Japanese dish consisting of chicken on a stick.Since my family supports a sexist coming-of-age tradition in which the grandsons accompany my grandfather to Japan for their 13th birthdays, I've been hearing about the glory of yakitori for years from my two younger brothers. Now, yakitori houses have cropped up across the east coast, offering sweet variations on this traditionally grilled chicken delight. Try hit restaurant Yakitori Totto's in NYC for chicken gizzard or newly-opened Yakitori Boy in Philadelphia for chicken meatballs.
Or, stick some meat on a stick with a scallion and fire up the grill. Check out the recipe after the jump from Japanese Lifestyle to get started.
Yakitori Chicken
2.5 lb. chicken thigh fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 scallions, sliced into 2-inch pieces
bamboo skewers
(yakitori sauce:)
6 tbsp sake or sherry
3/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp Mirin Seasoning (available at Asian groceries)
3 tbsp sugar
Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil to burn off alcohol. Thread chicken and scallion alternatively onto skewers and brush with sauce. Grill, basting regularly, until cooked.
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