Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers with tare)
Yakitori smoke drifts from the tiny stalls under the railway arches at Tokyo's Yurakucho and around Shinjuku's Omoide Yokocho every evening, where office workers stand shoulder to shoulder eating skewers straight off the charcoal. This recipe makes negima, the classic alternating chunks of chicken thigh and spring onion, brushed with tare, a glaze of soy, mirin, sake and sugar that is boiled down so the alcohol cooks off (use water and extra sugar for an alcohol-free version). An oven grill or barbecue both work. The common mistake is brushing on the glaze from the start, which burns before the chicken is cooked; grill first, glaze at the end. Chef's tip: thread the pieces snugly but not squashed, and keep the skin side on the outside so it crisps.
























