Japanese chicken teriyaki with shiny soy-mirin glaze

Ingredients

Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• Salt + black pepper

Glaze

• 100 ml soy sauce
• 100 ml mirin
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sake (optional)
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

Serve

• 400 g cooked short-grain rice
• 200 g tenderstem broccoli, steamed
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Pickled red ginger (optional)

Method

1. Chicken. Pat thighs very dry. Season. Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium-high.
2. Sear. Lay thighs flat. Sear 4-5 minutes per side until deep golden.
3. Glaze base. Whisk soy, mirin, sugar, sake, ginger, garlic in a small bowl.
4. Reduce. Pour glaze into the pan. Simmer 3-4 minutes, spooning repeatedly, until thick and glossy.
5. Coat. Turn thighs to coat on both sides. The glaze should cling like lacquer.
6. Serve. Slice against the grain. Plate over rice with broccoli. Spoon leftover glaze over. Sprinkle sesame seeds.

Tips

• Thighs, not breast. The fat carries the glaze and keeps the meat tender.
• Reduce the glaze until it’s syrupy. Thin sauce = wet chicken, not glazed.
• Rest the chicken off the heat 2 minutes before slicing. The glaze reabsorbs.