Yakitori Over Binchotan

Method

1. Make the tare

   Simmer the soy, mirin, sake, sugar, ginger and garlic together until reduced by roughly a third and lightly syrupy, about 20 minutes. Strain and cool. It keeps for weeks in the fridge and improves each time you use it.

2. Thread tightly

   Alternate chicken and spring onion, pressing the pieces close together so they support each other. Loose skewers spin and cook unevenly. Keep the pieces uniform in size and keep the skin on, it is the best part.

3. Build a narrow, hot bed

   Yakitori wants a long thin bed of coals so the skewers span it with their handles hanging clear of the heat. A konro grill is purpose-built for this; in a kettle, bank the coals into a narrow strip and lay two bricks or a pair of grate bars to rest the skewers on. Grate roughly 3 to 4 inches above the coals.

4. Salt first, sauce later

   Season the skewers with salt and cook them plain for the first several minutes. The sugar in the tare will burn if it goes on early, so it belongs only at the end.

5. Turn constantly

   Every 20 to 30 seconds. This is not a set-and-forget cook: constant rotation is what renders the skin without letting any face burn, and it is why yakitori chefs stand over the grill the whole time.

6. Glaze in the last two minutes

   Dip each skewer into the tare, return it to the fire for 30 seconds, then dip and return once more. Two thin layers set into a lacquer; one thick layer just runs off and burns.

7. Serve immediately with togarashi

   Straight from the fire onto the plate. Yakitori does not hold well.

Notes worth knowing

• Wrap the exposed skewer handles in foil if they sit over any heat at all.
• Binchotan is genuinely hard to light. Start it in a chimney over a gas burner and allow twenty minutes before it is usable.
• Never dip a used skewer back into your main tare batch. Pour a small amount into a separate dipping cup.

Common questions

Is binchotan worth the money?

For yakitori specifically, yes. It produces intense radiant heat with almost no smoke or flame, which is what you want when food sits three inches above the coals for ten minutes. For a long smoky brisket cook it would be a waste.

Can I use chicken breast?

You can, but thigh is correct here. Breast dries out at the small size and high heat this technique uses, whereas thigh has enough fat to survive it and skin that crisps.