← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 400 g boneless chicken thighs, skin on (2 large)
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 tsp Vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Sake
• 2 tbsp Mirin
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 Spring onion, finely sliced, to serve (optional)
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds (optional)

Method

1. Pat the chicken dry and prick the skin a few times with a fork so it does not shrink. Even out any thick parts with a knife and season lightly with salt. Stir the sauce ingredients together.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and lay the chicken in skin side down. Cook without moving for 6–7 min, pressing it flat now and then, until the skin is deep golden and crisp.
3. Flip the pieces, cover the pan and cook for 4–5 min, until cooked through (75°C / 165°F in the thickest part).
4. Wipe most of the fat out of the pan with kitchen paper. Pour in the sauce and let it bubble over medium-high heat for 1–2 min, turning the chicken, until the sauce turns thick and shiny.
5. Slice the chicken, spoon over the rest of the glaze and scatter with spring onion and sesame. Serve with rice and shredded cabbage.

Tips

• Thigh stays juicy; with breast, cook a little less and slice thinly.
• The 1:1:1 soy-sake-mirin sauce also works on salmon, tofu or meatballs.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook RecipeTin Japan Japanese Cooking 101