Seattle Chicken Teriyaki

Description:

The dish of teriyaki has its origins in Japan, and became popular in areas of the US with a large population of Japanese immigrants. The city of Seattle, Washington, is most well known for its iconic chicken teriyaki, which was popularized by Japanese immigrant Toshi Kasahara. This dish is most commonly made with chicken thighs, and served with white rice and a side salad.

Ingredients:

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1 cup soy sauce (240 ml)

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (60 ml)

• 1/2 cup sugar (60 g)

• 5 cloves of garlic, halved

• 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, sliced

Preparation:

Place the chicken and marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and marinade at least 2 hours, up to 24.

Remove chicken from marinade. Heat a grill, grill pan, or cast-iron pan (with 1 tbsp of oil) over high heat and cook chicken for 6-8 minutes on each side. Let rest for at least 10 minutes.

In a small pot, add the marinade and cook over medium heat until it is reduced to a syrup consistency. Remove the pieces of ginger and garlic.

Optionally, brush the teriyaki sauce over the cooked chicken and broil for 2-3 minutes. Otherwise, serve chicken with the sauce on the side, along with white rice and a salad.

Notes:

• You can add a tsp of cornstarch to thicken the teriyaki sauce if necessary.

• You can substitute the rice wine vinegar with Mirin (Japanese rice wine) or white vinegar.