Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

If you are looking for something a little different to do with your chicken, either for Sunday dinner, or for other times of the week, then look no further.

This recipe for chicken teriyaki is based on a Japanese original and serves chicken marinated in a sake, mirin (sweet rice wine) and soy sauce base. Though chicken breasts are used here, the same marinade could be applied to a whole chicken before roasting or to chicken portions or even split open poussin (Cornish hens) prior to grilling or barbecuing.

Chicken Teriyaki

Serves: 4

This is a classic Japanese-influenced dish of chicken cooked in a soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sake base. This is a favourite method of cooking poultry of all kinds in Japan (if you get a chance, try it with pheasant — a native of Japan).

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast fillets
2 small leeks
4 tbsp sake (or dry sherry)
4 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp caster sugar
5 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil

thinly sliced radishes, cucumbers and spring onions, to garnish

Method:

Place the chicken breast halves skin side uppermost on a chopping block then cut three diagonal cuts into the skin of the chicken. Trim the leeks, wash thoroughly and cut into 4cm pieces.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat then add the chicken breasts, skin side down, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the beasts over and fry for 4 minutes more then remove the chicken from the pan with tongs and set aside.

Pour off any fat from the pan then add the sake, mirin and sugar then bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, then bring back to a boil, cover and cook over high heat for 6 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until the sauce thickens.

Transfer the chicken to a warmed plate and discard the sauce. Heat the oil in another frying pan and fry the leeks for 3 minutes, or until softened.

Cut the chicken breasts into thick slices and fan these out onto warmed serving plates. Arrange the leeks next to the chicken then garnish with the radishes, cucumbers and spring onions.

Serve immediately with sticky rice.

This is a classic Fusion dish, taking Eastern methods and applying to Western foods.

For more classic Fusion dishes, using methods and flavours from around the world, why not visit the Celtnet Fusion foods and recipes pages?