Introduction to Japanese Chicken Meat Skewers

Hello and welcome to my channel! I'm Nami from Just One Cookbook, and today I'll be sharing with you a popular Japanese dish that's easy to make at home - Japanese chicken meat skewers. This dish is known as "Isaka" in Japan, and it's a beloved street food for many locals and tourists alike. With the right ingredients and some simple preparation, you can enjoy this delicious dish in the comfort of your own home.

Making the Sauce

Before we start cooking, let's make the sauce that's essential to this dish. In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of sake, half cup of mirin (a type of Japanese sweet wine), half cup of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat when the sauce has thickened and reduced by half. Don't worry if it continues to thicken as it cools - that's just part of the process! Soaking bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes is also important, as this will prevent them from burning while broiling.

Cooking the Chicken

Now it's time to cook the chicken. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 1/3 of the ground chicken you've prepared earlier (don't worry if you haven't made it yet - we'll get to that in a minute!). You don't need to add oil in the frying pan, as the meat will release its own fat while cooking. Cook the meat until it's no longer pink, then transfer it to a large bowl and let it cool completely.

Preparing the Mixture

While the chicken is cooling, prepare the mixture that will become your skewers. Chop up some sissor leaves (also known as shiso or perilla leaves) into thin slices, and cut green onions into thin slices as well. When the cooked ground chicken has cooled, combine it with the remaining ground chicken, 2 tbsp of miso paste, 2 tbsp of sesame oil, and a few of the chopped sissor leaves and green onions.

Kneading the Mixture

To make the mixture stick together, you'll need to knead it. Using your hands, knead the mixture in a clockwise direction for 30 times, then counterclockwise for another 30 times. This will help the meat become paler in color and sticky. Don't worry if it looks a bit messy at this stage - we'll shape it into patties soon enough!

Shaping the Patties

Now that your mixture is ready, it's time to shape it into patties. Scoop up a portion of the chicken mixture and toss it back and forth between your hands to release any air pockets. Then, shape the meat into a long oval patty about 4 inches in length. Repeat this process with the rest of the mixture.

Assembling the Skewers

Place a skewer on the center line of each patty, then close the two sides of the patty around the skewer to encase it. Form each patty into a long cylindrical shape, making sure the meat is evenly distributed and the skewer is secure. Gently toss each skewer from one hand to the other a few times to make sure the front and back sides are nicely formed.

Baking the Skewers

Preheat your oven broiler to high heat (about 450°F or 230°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, brush it lightly with oil, and arrange the skewers on it. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven about 8 inches away from the heating element. Cook for 6 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven using tongs (be careful - it's hot!).

Finishing Touches

After 6 minutes, flip each skewer over and cook for another 4 minutes, or until the chicken's internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Brush each skewer with Yakitori sauce (or your favorite BBQ sauce) to caramelize the surface. Finally, sprinkle some coarse sea salt over each skewer to bring out the flavors.

Serving and Enjoying

Transfer the skewers to a serving plate and brush extra sauce on top of each one. If you like a bit of spice, sprinkle some Japanese seven-spice (a blend of paprika, garlic powder, ginger powder, cayenne pepper, sesame seeds, sea salt, and black pepper) over the top for an added kick.

Conclusion

And that's it! With these simple steps, you can enjoy delicious Japanese chicken meat skewers in the comfort of your own home. Don't forget to check out more recipes on my channel, and let me know in the comments below what your favorite dish at an Isaka restaurant is. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next video!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: entoday I'll be making Japanese chicken meat skewes I'm Nami from just one cookbook you can make this popular isaka dish at home by using a broider your tun comes out Juicy and Delicious before we start don't forget to subscribe to my channel and click the Bell icon for new updates now let's get started in a small sauce pan combine 1/4 cup of water 1/4 cup of sake half cup of miline half cup of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar bring the mixture to a boil over medium Heat once boiling lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes remove from the heat when the sauce has thicken and reduced by half the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools soak bamboo skewes in water for 30 minutes soaking will prevent the skewes from burning while broiling heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 1/3 of the ground chicken you don't need to add oil in the frying pan cook the meat until no longer pink transfer the cooked meat to a large bowl and let it cool completely stuck and roll up sissor leaves and then cut into thin Julian slices cut green onions into thin slices when the cooked ground chicken has cooled combine with the remaining ground chicken then 2 tbsp of miso 2 tbsp of sesame oil using the wooden spatula need the mixture well add the Julian siso and chopped green onions combine the mixture around the bowl and then mix with your hands knead and fold the mixture in clockwise Direction 30 times then counterclockwise 30 times the meat will become paler in color and sticky prepare a baking sheet line with aluminum foil and brush a wire rck with oil lightly Co your hands with sesame oil and scoop up a portion of the chicken mixture toss the meat back and forth between your hands to release the air pockets then shape the meat to form it into a long oval Patty about 4 in in length place a skew on the me along the center line of the Patty then close the two sides of the Patty around the skew to encase the stick form the Patty into a long cylindrical shape gently toss the skew Patty from one hand to to the other a few times to make sure the front and back sides are nicely formed place the finished sket on the prepared wire rck and continue with the rest of skun notice how I place the skewes with the meat pointing to the center lightly sprinkle coarse sea salt over the meat prepare aluminum foil to cover the skew handles and keep them from burning preheat the oven Broiler to high PR place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven about 8 in away from the heating element cook for 6 minutes take out the baking sheet from the oven using a pair of tongs flip the tunet return the baking sheet to the oven and booil the other side for 4 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature is 165° f flip theun and brush the Yakitori sauce broil for another 45 to 60 seconds to caramelize the sauce transfer the skewes to a serving plate and brush extra sauce on the meat sprinkle optional Japanese seven spice for a spicy cake enjoy I hope you enjoy this recipe and check out more videos here what's your favorite dish at isaka restaurant let me know in the comments below thank you so much for watching and see you in the next video mattoday I'll be making Japanese chicken meat skewes I'm Nami from just one cookbook you can make this popular isaka dish at home by using a broider your tun comes out Juicy and Delicious before we start don't forget to subscribe to my channel and click the Bell icon for new updates now let's get started in a small sauce pan combine 1/4 cup of water 1/4 cup of sake half cup of miline half cup of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar bring the mixture to a boil over medium Heat once boiling lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes remove from the heat when the sauce has thicken and reduced by half the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools soak bamboo skewes in water for 30 minutes soaking will prevent the skewes from burning while broiling heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 1/3 of the ground chicken you don't need to add oil in the frying pan cook the meat until no longer pink transfer the cooked meat to a large bowl and let it cool completely stuck and roll up sissor leaves and then cut into thin Julian slices cut green onions into thin slices when the cooked ground chicken has cooled combine with the remaining ground chicken then 2 tbsp of miso 2 tbsp of sesame oil using the wooden spatula need the mixture well add the Julian siso and chopped green onions combine the mixture around the bowl and then mix with your hands knead and fold the mixture in clockwise Direction 30 times then counterclockwise 30 times the meat will become paler in color and sticky prepare a baking sheet line with aluminum foil and brush a wire rck with oil lightly Co your hands with sesame oil and scoop up a portion of the chicken mixture toss the meat back and forth between your hands to release the air pockets then shape the meat to form it into a long oval Patty about 4 in in length place a skew on the me along the center line of the Patty then close the two sides of the Patty around the skew to encase the stick form the Patty into a long cylindrical shape gently toss the skew Patty from one hand to to the other a few times to make sure the front and back sides are nicely formed place the finished sket on the prepared wire rck and continue with the rest of skun notice how I place the skewes with the meat pointing to the center lightly sprinkle coarse sea salt over the meat prepare aluminum foil to cover the skew handles and keep them from burning preheat the oven Broiler to high PR place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven about 8 in away from the heating element cook for 6 minutes take out the baking sheet from the oven using a pair of tongs flip the tunet return the baking sheet to the oven and booil the other side for 4 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature is 165° f flip theun and brush the Yakitori sauce broil for another 45 to 60 seconds to caramelize the sauce transfer the skewes to a serving plate and brush extra sauce on the meat sprinkle optional Japanese seven spice for a spicy cake enjoy I hope you enjoy this recipe and check out more videos here what's your favorite dish at isaka restaurant let me know in the comments below thank you so much for watching and see you in the next video mat\n"