INSTANT EXPERT Our guide to Japanese cuisine

Thought Japanese was too difficult to make at home? Try our easy dinner party dishes for a taste of the Far East without the hassle Yakitori

This menu is the perfect introduction to Japanese cooking, taking inspiration from street food and the dishes you might be served if you were to eat in a Japanese home. Forget the stress of trying to roll your own sushi, these recipes are much more achievable – and once you’ve tried the goma-ae sauce, you’ll never want to eat your greens any other way. The secret to the sticky chicken is to keep turning the skewers to continually baste it in the sauce.

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 25 mins EASY

100ml soy sauce

100ml mirin

50ml sake

2 tbsp caster sugar

500g boneless and skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 3cm chunks 4 spring onions, each cut into three You will need 4 flat teppo gushi bamboo skewers (available from amazon.co.uk) 1 Soak the skewers in a bowl of water while you prepare everything else, to prevent them from burning. Tip the soy, mirin, sake and sugar into a small saucepan, and cook over a medium heat for about 15 mins until the sauce is glossy.

2 Remove the skewers from the water and thread with a piece of chicken, followed by a piece of spring onion. Repeat twice more so the skewer is well stacked. Fill all four skewers.

3 Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat – you want to cook the chicken fairly gently so it soaks up the sauce. Put the skewers in the pan, then brush with the sauce. Cook for 10 mins, turning regularly and brushing in all the sauce. Serve immediately.

GOOD TO KNOW low fat

PER SERVING 265 kcals • fat 3g • saturates 1g • carbs 27g • sugars 22g • fibre none • protein 27g • salt 3.7g

tip

To clean your pan, fill it with water and return to the heat to bubble off the caramelised juices.