Hawaiian Yakitori chicken
Yakitori is Japanese skewered meat (usually chicken or pork) grilled over fire and the wood oven does an amazing job of replicating the searing heat usually associated with cooking this dish. The pineapple and peppers add a lovely hit of colour and give a delicious sweet, fresh and juicy angle. A family favourite on heavy rotation in our house and one the kids can easily help prep. You’ll need some decent skewers. I like to use flattened metal ones in the wood oven as the usual bamboo or wooden ones catch fire too easily. The flattening also helps stop the food rotating as you turn it.
Ingredients
Oil, for greasing
2 large chicken breasts, approx. 400g
A few glugs of teriyaki sauce
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
½ fresh pineapple
Sesame seeds
Serves 2-3
Oven Temperature – medium hot
Method
1. Slice the chicken into very thin strips across the grain (widthways).
2. Place the chicken in a bowl and add a few good slugs of teriyaki until the chicken is well coated. Set aside in the fridge while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
3. Deseed the peppers, then cut into 2cm squares.
4. Peel and core the pineapple, then cut into 2cm cubes.
5. Take your skewers and thread on a piece of chicken in a concertina fashion so it gathers up like a ribbon.
6. Next, add a piece of pepper, followed by another piece of chicken, then a pineapple cube.
7. Continue in this manner until you’ve filled your skewers.
8. Lightly wipe over a baking tray with oil and then pre-heat in the oven.
9. Add the skewers and slide in.
10. Continue to turn until almost cooked through, add a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
11. Continue cooking until the chicken reaches 75°C/167°F in the thickest part – around 8 minutes in total.