Chicken Yakitori and Rice

Total Time:	30 min
Cook Time:	30 min
Serves:	4
Level:	Easy

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup white rice 
• Salt
• About 3 tablespoons neutral oil 
• About 1/2 cup dark soy or tamari 
• 1/4 cup mirin 
• 1/4 cup sake 
• 2 tablespoons pourable light brown or brown sugar 
• 4 large cloves of peeled garlic 
• 1-inch ginger root 
• 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 bunch large scallions, trimmed 
• Green Beans with Tofu and Sesame Sauce, recipe follows

Green Beans with Tofu and Sesame Sauce:

• 1 pound trimmed green beans (two 8-ounce packages or trim 1 pound fresh green beans the day you shop)
• 4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 
• About 1 tablespoon soy sauce (dark soy sauce or tamari) for salty green beans or mirin or sake for sweet mild green beans 
• 1 round teaspoon sugar or fine sugar 
• 4 ounces firm tofu

Directions

Special equipment:

 bamboo skewers, 8- or 6-inch

1. For the chicken yakitori and rice: Soak skewers in water.
2. Gather ingredients.
3. Place 2 cups chicken stock or broth in a saucepot, bring to boil, then add white rice and a pinch of salt. Cover and reduce heat to low, then cook 15 to 18 minutes to just tender. Fluff and leave pot covered.
4. Heat a large cast-iron pan or large nonstick pan over medium-high to high heat with oil, 3 turns of the pan. Meanwhile, to a small pot add soy sauce or tamari, mirin, sake, brown sugar, grated garlic and grated ginger. Bring to a low boil and thicken a couple of minutes, then remove from heat and pour off about a third to serve; add a basting brush to pot with remainder.
5. Meanwhile, cut the chicken and scallions into bite-sized pieces. Drain skewers and thread on chicken and scallions, packed firmly.
6. Cook skewers in pan 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with sauce once you turn browned chicken and onions the first time. Reduce heat a bit if pan gets too smoky.
7. Serve skewers on or next to white rice with Green Beans alongside.

Green Beans with Tofu and Sesame Sauce:

1. Gather ingredients.
2. Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in deep skillet. Cut green beans into thirds.
3. Place toasted sesame in bowl of mortar and pestle. Add soy or mirin or sake and sugar. Grind into paste (but some whole sesame seeds are fine), 2 minutes.
4. Cook green beans in boiling water about 4 minutes to tender-crisp (add salt to water if you’re not using soy). Drain in strainer and run under cool water 1 minute; drain off excess water by leaving in strainer a few minutes.
5. Crumble about 4 ounces of the tofu with fingertips. Toss beans with sesame and tofu and serve.