An iconic staple of Japanese izakayas and yakitori counters, these grilled chicken tail skewers deliver intensely crispy skin and richly juicy meat, brightened by a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Ingredients
- 800 g Fresh skin-on free-range chicken tails (bonjiri)
- 2 tbsp Japanese cooking sake (unsalted)
- 8 g Unrefined fine sea salt
- 2 pieces Unwaxed fresh lemon
- 1 tsp Japanese seven-spice blend (shichimi togarashi)
Method
- Soak your bamboo skewers in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes to prevent them from catching fire or charring over the heat source.
- Set each free-range chicken tail on your cutting board, pointed tip facing up. Locate the small sebaceous gland nestled under the skin near the top, then make a shallow incision with the tip of a paring knife to extract and discard this small yellowish sac to eliminate any off-flavors.
- Thoroughly pat the trimmed chicken tails dry with paper towels to remove all surface moisture.
- Place the pieces in a shallow dish, drizzle with the Japanese cooking sake, and massage gently to coat the meat evenly. Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to mellow any strong aromas.
- Thread the chicken tails snugly onto the drained bamboo skewers, pressing the pieces tightly together to keep the center tender and juicy as they cook.
- Generously sprinkle the fine sea salt over all sides of the skewers, holding your hand high above the board to distribute the crystals evenly over the skin.
- Preheat your grill, griddle, or barbecue to medium-high heat to reach a cooking surface temperature of about 425 °F (220 °C).
- Lay the skewers on the hot cooking grate and grill for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 2 minutes once the fat starts crackling briskly, until the skin is blistered, deeply golden brown, and crisp, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 165 °F (74 °C).
- Let the skewers rest for 2 minutes on a warm rack to allow the juices to redistribute, while you cut the fresh lemon into wedges on your cutting board.
- Arrange the hot skewers on a serving platter, dust lightly with Japanese seven-spice blend (shichimi togarashi) to taste, and serve immediately with the fresh lemon wedges to squeeze over right before eating.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 249.4 kcal
- Protein
- 47.38 g
- Carbohydrate
- 6.4 g
- Fat
- 3.22 g
- Fibre
- 1.99 g
- Calcium
- 6.6 mg
- Iron
- 0.09 mg
- Magnesium
- 4.74 mg
