JAPANESE-STYLE CHICKEN MEATBALLS
You can cook these on a grill instead of broiling them. Since that mixture is soft, baking them first makes them easier to handle on the grill. Ginger is a tenderizer so don’t let the mixture chill for more than an hour or the texture will be chalky. Use ground turkey instead of chicken if you prefer. Makes: 22-24 meatballs
Sauce:
1/2 cup (125 mL) mirin
1/2 cup (125 mL) soy sauce 1/4 cup (60 mL) sake
1/4 cup (60 mL) sugar 1-inch (2.5-cm) piece of ginger, sliced
Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs (680 g) ground chicken thighs
1/2 cup (125 mL) panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped green onion
2 egg yolks
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp (5 mL) roasted Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) sea salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground white pepper
8 flat wooden skewers, soaked overnight in water
1. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a boil, turn to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Strain, discarding the ginger.
2. For the meatballs: Mix all of the meatball ingredients together with your hands until well combined. Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture looks sticky.
3. If you have a stand mixer, beat the mixture on low speed using the paddle attachment until the mixture looks sticky. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
5. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and oil well. There should be space around each meatball. Don’t crowd them.
6. Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) balls and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Loosen the meatballs and thread 3-4 on each skewer. Brush liberally with the sauce.
8. Set your broiler to medium and position a rack 8 inches (20 cm) away from the heat. Broil, brushing with glaze every few minutes and turning them over until the meatballs are sizzling and caramelized.