Chicken Yakitori

These Japanese chicken skewers are totally irresistible. The delicious yakitori dip of soy, mirin, sake (or dry sherry) and brown sugar is also used to baste the chicken as it cooks and the results are mouth-wateringly good. Even better, the chicken is pre-cooked and cooled before being basted, so there is very little to do when you want to eat. Simply heat the yakitori skewers in a hot oven for a few minutes or even pop them on the bbq and they are ready to go.

Ingredients - makes approx 18

225g chicken breast

2 spring onions, finely sliced

20g ginger, grated

2 tsp soy sauce

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt

Sauce

60 ml soy sauce ((Kikkoman sell a gluten free soy)

60 ml mirin

60 ml Sake (or dry sherry)

60g soft brown sugar

Bamboo sticks - soak in cold water for about 30 minutes or wrap sticks in foil to protect from the oven/bbq heat

Method

Bring all the sauce ingredients to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes until it begins to thicken. Cool.

Chop the chicken and put in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the remaining ingredients and whizz together. Be careful not to over process or the texture will be too smooth, you do need some texture.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. With damp hands, make walnut sized balls of the chicken mixture and put them on the paper. This is the messy part, but it is worth it. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 190°c. Neaten the chicken balls with damp hands again and place on a fresh piece of baking parchment. Cook for 10 minutes until just cooked.

Cool and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Pour some of the yakitori sauce into dipping dishes for serving. Dip the balls in the remainder and spear one, two or three balls on a bamboo stick.

Heat oven to 190°c. Cook chicken yakitori balls for 5-6 minutes until piping hot, or put them on the bbq. Serve with the remaining yakitori sauce.