← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken mince (thigh, or half thigh and half breast)
• 1 Eggs
• 2 Spring onion, very finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ginger, finely grated
• 1½ tbsp potato starch or cornflour
• 1 tbsp Sake
• 1 tsp Soy sauce
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp Soy sauce
• 4 tbsp Mirin
• 2 tbsp Sake
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 pinch Shichimi togarashi (seven-spice) (optional)

Method

1. Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water. Simmer the tare ingredients in a small pan for 3–4 min, until reduced and slightly syrupy.
2. Put the chicken, egg, spring onion, ginger, starch, sake, soy sauce and salt in a bowl and knead for 2 min, until sticky and pale.
3. With wet hands, shape the mix into 24 small balls (or 8 long ovals) and thread them onto the skewers.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the skewers for 3–4 min per side, until browned. Cover and cook for 3 min more, until cooked through (75°C / 165°F).
5. Pour in the tare and turn the skewers for 1–2 min, until they are coated in a sticky glaze. Sprinkle with shichimi and serve.

Tips

• The traditional raw egg yolk dip is only for eggs that are safe to eat raw; skip it for children, pregnancy and older people.
• They also grill beautifully on a barbecue: brush with tare in the last few minutes.

Sources

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

Just One Cookbook RecipeTin Japan Japanese Cooking 101