Yakitori

Instructions

1. Make the tare (sauce): In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and dark green scallions. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the ginger, garlic, and scallions. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce for serving and set the rest aside for basting.
2. Prepare the skewers: Thread the chicken pieces and the light green scallion sections (widthwise) onto the skewers, alternating chicken and scallion pieces.
3. Cook the yakitori: To broil: Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Arrange the skewers in a single layer. Broil, 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) from the heat source, for 5 minutes on each side, then brush the top side with sauce. Continue broiling for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chicken is caramelized in spots. Flip, brush with sauce, and broil for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the chicken is glazed and cooked through.To grill: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side, then baste with sauce and continue cooking for another few minutes, basting once or twice more, until the chicken is cooked through and caramelized in spots.
4. Serve: Transfer the skewers to a platter, drizzle with a little of the reserved serving sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Serve hot with any remaining serving sauce for dipping. (If you’d like to repurpose the basting sauce for serving, be sure to bring it to a full boil for 1 minute first.)