Many popular Japanese dishes are prepared by broiling.This method of cooking over high heat makes food crisp on the surface and tender and juicy inside. Meat, seafood, and vegetables are all delicious prepared as yakimono.
In Japan, “yaki”dishes may be cooked at the table on a small charcoal grill called a hibachi. If you dont have a hibachi, then a backyard barbecue grill or the broiler in your oven will work just as well. (When cooking with charcoal, its a good idea to have an experienced cook help you start the grill.)
(Top) Teriyaki and(bottom) kushiyaki are both cooked in delicious sauces to add flavor.
Broiled Chicken/Teriyaki
One of the tastiest yakimono dishes is teriyaki, meat or seafood broiled with a sauce that gives it a shiny, glazed coating.This simplified recipe is baked in the oven instead of broiled, as broiled food can burn easily. Beef, pork, shrimp, and some kinds of fish are also delicious prepared with teriyaki sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c. soy sauce
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. fresh ginger root, grated
3 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 1/2- to 2-lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces
METHOD:
1.Preheat oven to 375°F.
2.Combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger root, and sesame seeds in a large bowl.
3.Place chicken in a baking dish and pour sauce over it. Bake for 45 minutes. Brush on more sauce as chicken bakes (about every 15 minutes).
Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves 4
Broiled Shrimp and Vegetables/Kushiyaki
Another popular category of yakimono is kushiyaki, foods broiled on skewers. (Kushi is the Japanese word for “skewer.”) Like so many Japanese specialties, kushiyaki can be made with a combination of many different ingredients. Seafood, beef, pork, chicken, and vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and zucchini all make great kushiyaki. Use your imagination and pick your own favorites.
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. fresh ginger root, grated
1 green pepper
1 lb. fresh whole mushrooms
1 lb. large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined,* or 2 7-oz. packages frozen peeled raw shrimp, thawed
METHOD:
1.Combine soy sauce, sugar, and ginger root in a bowl.
2.Clean out and cut green pepper into 1-inch pieces. (Mushrooms may be broiled whole.)
3.Have an experienced cook start the charcoal grill, or preheat the oven to the broil setting.
4.Alternate shrimp, green pepper, and mushrooms on 12 small wooden skewers.
5.Grill or broil skewered shrimp and vegetables for 6 to 10 minutes, or until done. Carefully drizzle or brush sauce over the skewered shrimp and vegetables several times during broiling. Turn the skewers often so that all sides are broiled evenly.
6.Pour remaining sauce over skewers and serve with hot rice.
Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes
Cooking time: 6 to 12 minutes
Serves 4
*If you use fresh shrimp for this recipe, you may be able to have it peeled and deveined at the grocery store. Otherwise, you can do it yourself. Hold the shrimp so that the underside is facing you. Starting at the head, use your fingers to peel off the shell from the head toward the tail. Then, using a sharp knife, carefully make a shallow cut all the way down the middle of the back. Hold the shrimp under cold running water to rinse out the dark vein.
