CHICKEN YAKITORI WITH CARROT AND SESAME SLAW

Makes 6

700g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm cubes

1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced into 3cm lengths

1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the tare sauce:

7 tbsp soy sauce

7 tbsp mirin

7 tbsp sake

1cm piece of fresh root ginger, finely grated

2 tsp soft brown sugar

For the slaw:

1 red pepper, cut into matchsticks 3 carrots, cut into matchsticks 3 spring onions, sliced

2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp rice vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

You will also need 6 long metal skewers.

1 For the sauce, put the ingredients into a small saucepan set over a medium-low heat on the hob and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer steadily until reduced in volume by half (15-20 minutes). Divide between 2 small dishes and set aside to cool. One dish will be used as a dipping sauce, the other to glaze the skewers as they cook. Separating them prevents cross-contamination from the raw meat.

2 Make the slaw by stirring together the red pepper, carrot and spring onions with the sesame seeds, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Alternately thread the chicken pieces and sliced spring onions on to the skewers and drizzle all over with the 1 tbsp vegetable oil.

3 Light the barbecue and set up the fire for direct cooking. Rest the skewers on the grill bars over the fire. Take one of the bowls of sauce and, using a silicone pastry brush, glaze the chicken all over. Lower the lid. After 2-3 minutes turn the skewers and brush over more sauce. Keep turning and brushing the chicken with sauce until cooked through (10-12 minutes, depending on thickness). The sauce can burn quite easily, so watch the skewers as they cook and slide them away from the heat if necessary.

4 Serve the skewers with the slaw and the other dish of sauce for dipping into.