Yakitori — Chicken Thighs Skewers with Tare

Ingredients

• 2 lb Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups Scallions, cut into 1½-inch lengths
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup mirin
• ¼ cup sake
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 inch ginger, sliced
• 20 bamboo skewers, soaked 30 minutes
• 1 tsp shichimi togarashi
• 1 tsp flaky salt

Method

1. Simmer the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger together until reduced by a third and syrupy enough to coat a spoon, 12 minutes. Strain and set aside — this is your tare.
2. Thread the Chicken Thighs onto skewers, alternating with Scallions, packing them snugly so the pieces support each other over the fire.
3. Grill over medium-hot coals or a grill pan, turning every 90 seconds, for the first 6 minutes with nothing on them. Sauce too early and the sugar burns before the inside cooks.
4. Start brushing with tare in the last 4 minutes, turning and re-brushing three or four times to build lacquered layers. Chicken should reach 165°F (74°C).
5. Serve half the skewers glazed and half with just flaky salt, with shichimi on the side. The salt ones will surprise you.