Yakitori Negima
The bedrock skewer of any Tokyo yakitori counter: chicken thigh and Tokyo negi (leek) alternating on a bamboo stick, charred hard over binchotan, then dipped in tare — a sweet-savory soy glaze the shops have been topping up for decades.
Ingredients
- boneless skin-on chicken thigh1.5 lb
- Tokyo negi or thick scallion whites4 stalks
- soy sauce1/2 cup
- mirin1/2 cup
- sake1/4 cup
- sugar2 tbsp
- fresh ginger, smashed1-inch piece
- garlic clove, smashed1
- bamboo skewers, soaked 30 minutes12
- shichimi togarashi for servingto taste
Steps
Make the tare sauce.
Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium until reduced by about a third and visibly syrupy, around 10 minutes. Discard aromatics.
Cut chicken into cubes.
Cut chicken thigh into 1-inch cubes, keeping the skin attached.
Cut negi whites into 1-inch lengths.
Thread chicken and negi on skewers.
Thread each skewer alternating chicken, negi, chicken, negi, chicken — five pieces per skewer.
Heat grill and char skewers.
Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Lay skewers down and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes until the underside is well-charred.
Flip and cook the second side for 3 more minutes.
Brush with tare and grill.
Brush both sides generously with tare, return to the grill, and cook 1 minute per side to set the glaze.
Brush with tare and serve.
Brush once more with tare and serve immediately, with shichimi togarashi on the side.
Nutrition, per serving. 310 calories. Protein 26.5 grams, 35 percent. Carbs 14 grams, 18 percent. Fat 16 grams, 47 percent. Fiber 1 grams, sugar 10 grams, saturated fat 4.5 grams, sodium 1200 milligrams. Estimated from ingredients.
