Yakitori directly translates to grilled bird, a very popular Japanese type of skewered chicken. It often features a range of meats from chicken breast, thighs, to beef, pork and a range of vegetables like mushrooms and leeks. It is typically skewered on a bamboo or steel skewer and grilled over a charcoal fire for that extra smokey flavours. But not everyone has excess to an open bbq pit, so today we have a "hacked" chicken and leek yakitori, made using your humble oven. This is a quick and simple dish, a great and fun snack to enjoy with your friends and family or just by yourself. Tender juicy pieces of chicken breast, interlayed with sweet tender leeks all bound together with a sweet savoury sauce and who can forget the smokey bbq char. Feel free to customise your skewer, try some chicken thighs (defo more juicy and tasier than breast), some beef, pork, fish and a whole range of vegetables.
Ingredients
300g Chicken Breast
150g Leek
Skewers
1tb Light Soy Sauce
1tb Mirin
1tb Sake
1ts Brown Sugar
1 Thumb Sized Piece Ginger
STEPS
Soak your skeweres in some water this prevents them from burning whilst they cook.
Preheat your oven to 180°C on the broiller setting.
Slice your leeks and chicken into 1/2 inch pieces.
In a bowl mix 1tb of light soy sauce, mirin, sake, 1ts of brown sugar and grate in 1 thumb sized piece of ginger and give it a good mix together.
Skewer up your chicken and leeks making sure to alternate between them.
Gently brush them with your lovely sauce and place them on a baking paper lined tray and into your preheated oven for 5 minutes.
Carefully flip your skewers and brush them with more sauce and let it cook for another 4 minutes.
Crank the heat up to max and give your skewers a final brushing of sauce and let it char for a good minute.
Carefully take it out of the oven and enjoy!
Happy Cooking,