Hiroyuki's Yakitori Kanzuri Chicken

[sizzleteeth]

Hiroyuki,

I have considered it today and I have decided to attempt to make a recipe specifically for you

using Kanzuri and broiled/grilled chicken - since you are so helpful to we who need information.

We will call it "Hiroyuki's - Yakitori No Kanzuri".

If you can - please name me your top 5 favorite fruit jams/jellies/preserves - it would help if

they are of fruits available here in the states - but name them regardless and if one happens to be something like "Muscat Preserves" - I will improvise.

I will develope the recipe over the next couple of weeks and post it here when complete.

Edited February 3, 2005 by sizzleteeth (log)

[Hiroyuki]

If you can - please name me your top 5 favorite fruit jams/jellies/preserves - it would help if

they are of fruits available here in the states  - but name them regardless and if one happens to be something like "Muscat Preserves" - I will improvise.

←

Oh, thanks. I appreciate it.

But, top 5? I can name only two or three . Strawberry, blueberry, and uh, ... how about kaki (persimmon) and grape jams/jellies/perseves?

I'm looking forward to your recipe.

[sizzleteeth]

Oh, thanks.  I appreciate it.

But, top 5?  I can name only two or three .  Strawberry, blueberry, and uh, ... how about kaki (persimmon) and grape jams/jellies/perseves?

I'm looking forward to your recipe.

←

Strawberry it is.

[sizzleteeth]

Kanzuri recipe for Hiroyuki update:

Roast or grilled poultry goes particularly well with sweet fruity sauces.

For instance: Roast Turkey with Cranberry Sauce is the most well known.

Grilled chicken goes well with sweet fruit sauces made from apricots, raisins, ligonberries or mango etc., and especially citrus fruits like orange, lemon, lime – you name it.

There is a popular dish served at Chinese restaurants here called “Orange Chicken”, if you have had anything like it - you have experienced the combination of chicken, a sweet fruity sauce and red chili peppers. There are many others as well.

I am using this same type of combination for your Kanzuri recipe, except I am making it unique in flavor based on some choices you have made – in this case strawberry - while keeping it simple to prepare using ingredients you can obtain easily.

[sizzleteeth]

I am drooling already!!

←

My recipe will call for boneless breast meat with or without skin - I'll personally be using Miller Farm's Amish Chicken - which is one of the closest things in the states to "Hinai Jidori" - but any high quality chicken will do!!

{edit} - It will be on skewers.

Edited February 4, 2005 by sizzleteeth (log)

[sizzleteeth]

Hello Hiroyuki,

I had a free day today so I have finished your recipe. I am going to do this in 2 posts,

first the recipe then pictures. Please note that I have made this in hopes you will experiment

for yourself, this is simply a pointer. As well, if you were to make your own Strawberry

Preserves, Mayonnaise and Unagi No Tare (all of which are simple) - it would be even more

your own. However, i do not expect you to do that for this recipe, hence I have used ingredients

off the shelf.

The Recipe:

“Hiroyuki’s, Yakitori No Kanzuri”

Kanzuri & Kabayaki No Tare Marinated Chicken Skewers with

Strawberry Wasabi Black Sesame Honey Sauce.

By Nathan Gray - 2/05/05

-----------------------------

For the chicken:

1 Boneless Chicken Breast or 2 Thighs with or without skin

1/3 cup Kabayaki No Tare Sauce

2 Teaspoons of Kanzuri

Bamboo skewers (soaked in water)

1 Teaspoon of oil suitable for high temperature (grapeseed, peanut, etc)

Salt + Pepper

For the dipping sauce:

4 tablespoons of mayonnaise

2 tablespoon of good quality strawberry jam w/ fruit

1 teaspoon of prepared wasabi

1 teaspoon of honey

1 teaspoon of black sesame seeds (iri goma)

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

1. Cut the chicken into strips

2. Salt and pepper on both sides

3. Mix together well the Kanzuri and Kabayaki Sauce to make marinade

4. Place the raw chicken in a bowl - in one layer - and pour over the marinade

5. Cover with a plastic wrap in contact with the chicken to seal out the air.

6. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours – even better 8.

Step 2: Make the strawberry sauce

1. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a small container

2. Mix well with a fork, spoon or chopsticks until completely blended

3, Transfer to a smaller bowl.

4. Cover with plastic wrap in contact with the sauce to seal out air

5. Refrigerate until needed to let the flavors meld – at least 1 hour.

Step 3: Broil or Grill the chicken

1. Place your skewers in water for at least 5 minutes to prevent fire

2. Then place 2 strips of chicken on each skewer

3. Set your oven to broil or use a charcoal, gas or electric grill - let it heat.

4. If using a broiler, place the chicken on a short sided pan coated with the oil and broil

the chicken, turning occasionally, to sear and caramelize all sides – there is a lot of

sugar in kabayaki sauce - careful not to burn. If using a grill, brush the grill with the oil

and grill the chicken on all sides.

Step 4: Plate the chicken

1. Place the skewers on a plate, with or without rice of your choice.

2. Spoon a small amount of the sauce directly on the skewers

3. Set aside the reserved sauce for dipping.

4. Eat

{edit} Removed "2" from skewers as you may need more.

Edited February 6, 2005 by sizzleteeth (log)

[sizzleteeth]

Now pictures:

I tried to use as many Japanese ingredients as possible, down to the mayo, but I could not find Japanese Strawberry Preserves or Honey - so to be fair I kept those imported - honey from Germany, strawberry preserves from Essex with 2 ingredients - sugar and strawberries. I also used thighs instead of breast as they take longer to cook and will keep more moisture:

Cutting and seasoning the chicken:

Ingredients for the dipping sauce before mixing:

Ingredients for the dipping sauce after mixing and transfer:

Just out of the broiler:

Hiroyuki, where are you? Plated with a perilla leaf for wrapping, rice with sesame and a beer.

Closeup!!

Enjoy!!

{edit} Changed a couple of photos to different angle shots.

Edited February 6, 2005 by sizzleteeth (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks for a full description of your (my?) recipe. And a good representation of the dish.

I printed the whole thread and read the recipe throughly. Now I'm contemplating...

Whether to use a breast or thighs...

You stated not just "strawberry jam" but "good quality strawberry jam"...

OK, I'll try your recipe tomorrow at the earliest and in one week at the latest, following your recipe as precisely as I can, and post my findings here, hopefully with some photos. (I have already used up 95% of my memory space .)

Thanks again for your great recipe.

[sizzleteeth]

Thanks for a full description of your (my?) recipe.  And a good representation of the dish.

←

No problem, it's just one way to use Kanzuri rather than just by itself, as I said - I hope you will experiment with it yourself - Kanzuri is key to the flavor of the chicken in this dish.

Yeah, yeah ... so it's my recipe - but if you hadn't bought the Kanzuri and needed a way to use it - I would have not had fun today making this example.

The recipe is mine - but it is a gift to you - let's just hope you like it!!!

I look forward to your honest opinion.

{edit} Noticed your reference to the jam, yes "good quality" as in made from whole fruit with chunks

of strawberry and no ingredients you can't pronounce. Preferably only strawberries and sugar. Jelly or artificially flavored jam may produce less than desirable results.

Edited February 6, 2005 by sizzleteeth (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Today (Feb. 7), I decided to make the yakitori for tonight's dinner according to sizzleteeth's recipe.

First, I made kabayaki no tare sauce with very simple ingredients this morning:

one part (75-ml) soy sauce, one part mirin, and one part sake (Japanese rice wine).

I decided to use two chicken breasts that I happened to have in the freezer, one with kanzuri and another without it, to compare their difference in taste.

At around 10 o'clock, I went out to two stores to buy other necessary items. I was relieved to find that kabayaki no tare sauce was not available at either store. Wise decision. In my sleepy little town with a population of 20,000, nothing will go as you plan.

I made all the preparations by noon.

Left: Chicken marinated in a sauce without kanzuri

Right: Chicken marinated in a sauce with kanzuri

Later, I used short bamboo skewers for chicken without kanzuri and long ones for chicken with it.

What did I use to grill the chicken? Toaster Oven, of course.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...9012&hl=toaster

Left: Chicken with kanzuri

Right: Chicken without kanzuri

I posted a photo of tonight's dinner here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...10entry838415

Sorry, comments later.

[Hiroyuki]

we haven't heard if Hiroyuki enjoyed the recipe, so I cannot yet consider it a success.

←

It was a success, of course. With yakitori, you can never go wrong - All my family like yakitori. We loved both your version (with kanzuri) and a simple, all-too-familiar version (without kanzuri). Your version was slightly spicy and flavorful; my son said it was good and not spicy at all.

I was pondering how best I could describe the difference between an okazu (side dish supposed to be eaten with rice and therefore seasoned accordingly) and a sake no sakana (dish supposed to eaten with sake and therefore seasoned accordingly) because the difference is sometimes crucial. We often say things like, "such and such is good as an okazu and not as a sake no sakana".

I knew right from the beginning that your yakitori could be a great menu item at a Japanese izakaya. Almost everyone likes yakitori, and your dipping sauce is so special - the combination of mayo and strawberry jam is so innovative that no Japanese could ever think of it, except some mayolers (mayo freaks).

I tasted the dipping sauce. I had never tasted anything like it. I remembered the first time I had udo (kind of mountain vegetable) with a mayo-and-miso sauce. (Just for your information, mayo and miso go together really well, so do mayo and cheese.) I enjoyed the combination of mayo and strawberry sauce. I put a lot of it on my yakitori and ate it, and I drank shochu (distilled spirit).

I discussed the dipping sauce with my wife and son. My son said the sauce was sweet and did not go well with rice, and my wife agreed immediately. And I had to agree, because they ate the yakitori with the dipping sauce as an okazu, whereas I ate it with the sauce as a sake no sakana. If I had eaten it as an okazu, I would have thought the same way as my wife and son.

Anyway, your recipe was, as you pointed out, a good pointer. Now I know one good use of my kanzuri. Now I feel I can explore my kanzuri my own way. And thank you for guiding me in the right direction. Your effort is much appreciated.

I have some questions. I am curious to know how you managed to get the rice into that shape. Did you use a special mold or something? I am also curious to know what those Japanese food items shown in the photos (such as the kayayaki no tare sauce and the Japanese beer) cost. The last question is, "Why are you so interested in Japanese food items??"

[sizzleteeth]

Anyway, your recipe was, as you pointed out, a good pointer.  Now I know one good use of my kanzuri.  Now I feel I can explore my kanzuri my own way.  And thank you for guiding me in the right direction.  Your effort is much appreciated.

I have some questions.  I am curious to know how you managed to get the rice into that shape.  Did you use a special mold or something?  I am also curious to know what those Japanese food items shown in the photos (such as the kayayaki no tare sauce and the Japanese beer) cost.  The last question is, "Why are you so interested in Japanese food items??"

←

I am most glad to hear that Hiroyuki and thank you for all of your thoughtful comments and well thought out response – it makes it worth while for me that it spurred you to think.

The rice was simply shaped in an Oshi-Zushi press, I only make sushi now and then - usually when I am serving someone who has an affinity for it - but when I do it is primarily Oshi or some other form besides Nigiri or Maki, which are great in themselves but are more common here.

People do not often see Oshi – so it makes it fun for them to see something they have not seen. This and other tools I have I will use both for their intended purpose and for other things – for instance I once made peanut brittle out of ground peanuts and press it into blocks with an Oshi-Zushi press and served it with a version of Thai Basil Chicken I had turned into a broth – because Basil Chicken is often served with ground peanuts. It was the favorite dish of a guest – which I served in a different form.

Thai Basil Chicken (broth form), Red Chili, Ground Peanut Brittle:

As for the cost, we have very large Japanese communities in Chicago so I am lucky to have access to stores that sell authentic items at reasonable prices, if those items were sold in a regular store they would sell for more because people would not know them or what they should pay (a common practice in America). The beer was about $2 and the

Kabayaki No Tare about $2.50 – nothing in the picture was over $4.00 except the Jam and of course the Kanzuri. When I make my own Kabayaki I will use 1/2 shoyu, 1/2 mirin, 1/4 sugar and simmer it down to a thickened sauce.

Finally, I am very interested in Japanese food items – but I am just as interested in all food items of all nations. Indian, Indonesian, Ethiopian, French, Spanish, Chinese, Dutch….. you name it!! My goal is to learn as much as possible about every ingredient I can find as to know them for myself and how they relate to other things – this will make my cooking strong and diverse. You would be surprised how many correlations there are between cuisines of every kind, Southern Beef Stew is Niku Jaga is Kay Watt – Prosciutto Di Parma is Amish Country Ham is Westphalian Ham. Etc. Etc.

Yes, these things are different – but they are also the same.

I like to start at the center of things and work my way out, to start with the things that are not on the surface. Once I gain understanding of the vast array of possibilities, I can stand in the center and use whichever I choose, in whatever combination. This sometimes requires focus and for the last year or so my focus has been Japanese. These times of focus sometimes require travel – as I plan to do to Japan in May.

Don’t believe me that there are many correlations between American food and Japanese?

Try this one, it’s very simple:

Unagi No Kabayaki – with Cornbread and Hot Sauce.

It is delicious!!!

{edit} Missed a T

Edited February 8, 2005 by sizzleteeth (log)

[EdS]

Thank you for tonight's dinner, sizzleteeth and Hiroyuki.

The stawberry wasabi mayo works well. The berry flavor is a nice addition. I had everything here but the kanzuri. Next time I'll try it with kanzuri and I'll back off on the sugar in my yakitori sauce to compensate a little for the extra sweetness added by the dipping sauce.

[EdS]

I know from the context that I've seen it used such as in "kabayaki unagi" and the above that kabayaki means a soy-based grilled dish but could someone tell me what exactly "kaba" means? Thanks.

[Hiroyuki]

I know from the context that I've seen it used such as in "kabayaki unagi" and the above that kabayaki means a soy-based grilled dish but could someone tell me what exactly "kaba" means? Thanks.

←

In days of old, eels were simply cut in round slices and then roasted on a skewer, which looked like the ear of the plant called kaba. Thus, the name kaba yaki (=grill).

A photo of the ear of kaba

http://fount-k.com/~tomo/jp/photobase/yp476.html

[sizzleteeth]

Thank you for tonight's dinner, sizzleteeth and Hiroyuki. 

The stawberry wasabi mayo works well. The berry flavor is a nice addition. I had everything here but the kanzuri. Next time I'll try it with kanzuri and I'll back off on the sugar in my yakitori sauce to compensate a little for the extra sweetness added by the dipping sauce.

←

Esvoboda,

The Kanzuri is key because it is so salty - it cuts the sweetness of the marinade and turns it more savory - sort of like salted peanuts and caramel/sugar and then leaves room for the sweetness of the dipping sauce.

It may be difficult to find Kanzuri so for anyone that can't - take some dried red chili peppers and rehydrate them overnight in water - cut off the stem and push out the seeds - put them in a food processor with just enough Junmai (pure rice - no added alchohol) sake to make a paste and then add salt to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice - make it salty but not too salty.

This will give you something similar - but much HOTTER - so halve the amount in the recipe for Hiroyuki's Yakitori.

Though it will not be the same as true Kanzuri.

Edited February 10, 2005 by sizzleteeth (log)

[torakris]

last night I grilled some semi-dried squid and served it with a kanzuri and mayo sauce, this was quite good!

[sizzleteeth]

last night I grilled some semi-dried squid and served it with a kanzuri and mayo sauce

←

That looks really good - I love squid - I'll have to try some Kanzuri mayo on something.

It does seem that Kanzuri is good when mixed with other sauces - on the Imaiya site they show a special dish of thinly sliced chicken - almost sashimi style - with dots of Kanzuri and a Ponzu dipping sauce - so I'm guessing it will go well with Ponzu as well and probably a host of other things.

This is a good one TK!

{edit} - Nice photo too - I just noticed the Hello Kitty bowl.

Edited February 12, 2005 by sizzleteeth (log)

[sizzleteeth]

last night I grilled some semi-dried squid and served it with a kanzuri and mayo sauce, this was quite good!

←

Tried the Kanzuri mayo combo last night, just a mix of about 1/2 and 1/2 - very good indeed - could go with many many things. I also added some Togarashi and that added another layer of flavor and spice. It sounds funny but it would go really well on Chicago style hot dogs or Polish sausages or even as a sauce for Carne Asada.

{edit} Carne Asada with Kanzuri Togarashi Mayo - you gave me a new dish to try Torakris.

Edited February 15, 2005 by sizzleteeth (log)