Yakitori Party
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 24 skewers
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 24 servings
- Calories
- 260
- Total Fat
- 15
- Saturated Fat
- 4
- Carbohydrates
- 8
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 5
- Protein
- 21
- Cholesterol
- 75
- Sodium
- 1292
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 55 min
Ingredients
Tare:
2 cups soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons MSG
8 cloves garlic, smashed
2 onions, quartered
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, cut into coins
For Grilling:
2 whole chickens, giblets included
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, optional
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup ume furikake
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Directions
Special equipment:
a large stovetop pressure cooker; a charcoal grill; 24 skewers, soaked for 30 minutes if wood or bamboo- Light a charcoal grill or konro to medium-high heat.
- For the tare: Combine the soy sauce, mirin, maple syrup, salt, black pepper, MSG, garlic, onions and ginger in a large stovetop pressure cooker. Lock on the lid and cook over medium-high heat until pressure is reached, then immediately turn off the heat and allow it to release pressure naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure. Strain the tare and reserve until ready to grill.
- For grilling: Preheat a charcoal grill over medium-high heat.
- Break down the chickens by setting aside the giblets, then cutting off the thighs, oysters, legs, breasts, tenders, skin, tail, wishbone and wings. Cut off the keel bone, soft knee bones, and neck meat if desired. Debone the thigh meat. Cut the thighs and breasts into bite-sized pieces. Cut the skin into strips about 1/2-inch wide.
- Skewer like parts with like parts, using two skewers for wings or large pieces. Skewer the scallions with the chicken parts as well, if desired. It's a party!
- Combine the wasabi powder with 1 tablespoon kosher salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Brush or sprinkle each skewer with desired flavorings: salt, wasabi-salt mixture, ume furikake or tare, or a combo of all. Again, it's a party!
- Grill the meats over the charcoal until cooked through.
- Season everything with black pepper and serve with lemon wedges.
Cook’s Note
I've found the best method for getting crisp skin skewers is to use an air-fryer. Simply cook at 390 degrees F until super-crispy, about 8 minutes. If you crave the char, you can finish them over the grill.