CHICKEN YAKITORI

SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 10 MINUTES / COOKING APPROX 1 HOUR

Because the thigh and leg bones are removed from the chicken it will take less time to cook than a drumstick or bone-in thigh. If you aren’t breaking down the chicken yourself, buy boneless chicken thighs, drumsticks and/or wings. Their higher fat content makes them much tastier and better suited to grilling.

CHICKEN TARE

1 chicken frame, bones & skin

1 carrot, chopped

3 dried shiitake mushrooms

3-4 palm-sized sheets of kombu (kelp) 2 spring onions, chopped

⅓ cup rice wine vinegar

⅓ cup mirin

⅓ soy sauce

¼ cup cooking sake

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Place the chicken frame, bones and skin in a pot on a low heat, shaking the pot periodically to render the fat from the skin and frame. Add the carrot and turn the heat to high once the fat has been rendered, then cook for about 8 minutes, until the frame and skin have some colour.

Cover the chicken and carrot with 1 litre of water and add the shiitake, kombu and spring onions. Adjust the heat to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour – the longer the better. Remove the chicken, turn the heat to high and reduce the stock by half, then add remaining ingredients and simmer for another 10 minutes.

1 organic chicken, boned and broken down into portions (see opposite).

Thread the chicken onto skewers. Paint the flesh side with the tare, then grill, skin-side down, until done. Serve chicken with a black vinegar mayonnaise, either by making a basic egg mayonnaise and adding black vinegar or simply mixing it with a store-bought mayonnaise to taste.

There’s something about the sound and smell of something cooking over fire that draws people in.