Yakitori hatsu

A recipe inspired by Omoide Yokocho (aka Memory Lane), a famous alleyway in Tokyo lined with tiny yakitori restaurants. It's affectingly atmospheric with locals and food-loving tourists sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on bar stools as yakitori chefs dish up skewers, piece-by-piece. Smoke billows, Japanese lanterns swing and beer glasses are emptied.

Yakitori hatsu Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  2

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ordering hearts ('hatsu') is as common as ordering chicken thigh in Tokyo. They're easy to find in Aussie butchers, too, so give it a go!

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken hearts
• bamboo skewers, for threading
• 4 spring onions, cut into 2.5 cm segments
• salt and white pepper, to season
• white sesame seeds, to garnish
• sansho pepper, to garnish

Sauce

• 125 ml (½ cup) quality soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 125 ml (½ cup) cooking sake
• 125 ml (½ cup) mirin
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Marinating time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. For the sauce, place the soy sauces, sake, mirin and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, stir in the ginger and garlic and set aside to cool completely.
2. To prepare the chicken hearts, use a small sharp knife to butterfly lengthways, then trim away the fat and arteries. Place into a bowl. Pour three quarters of the cooled sauce over the chicken hearts, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. This prevents the skewers burning during cooking.
4. Prepare a hibachi grill (or regular grill if you don't have one).
5. Drain the chicken hearts and the bamboo skewers. Thread the hearts onto the soaked bamboo skewers placing a segment of spring onion between every 2–3 hearts.
6. Season the skewers with salt and white pepper, then place on the hot grill. Cook for 3 minutes on one side or until lightly browned. Turn, brush with the remaining sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes. Continue to cook, baste and turn at 1–2 minute intervals until the hearts are just cooked through and completely glazed. Serve hot, sprinkled with sesame seeds and sansho pepper.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Off The Beaten Track

Watch The Full Episode Here

G

Watch The Full Episode Here

G

Ordering hearts ('hatsu') is as common as ordering chicken thigh in Tokyo. They're easy to find in Aussie butchers, too, so give it a go!