Maple chicken skewers evoke Asia’s street vendors | Food & Cooking

Avenue vendors cross East Asia scrunch smaller pieces of meat onto skewers and baste them in excess of hot coals with a sweet and savory sauce. Amid the sizzle and fragrant puffs of smoke, the sauce thickens to a luscious glaze, and — importantly — the meat cooks up rapid.

This mix of speed and daring flavor has normally appealed to us at Milk Avenue, but for weeknight skewers we exchange the open-air grill for the effortless, managed heat of a broiler. The close to-immediate heat chars the peaks of the skewered meat, and the valleys capture minor swimming pools of caramelizing sauce.

These savory-sweet chicken skewers from our book “COOKish,” which restrictions recipes to just 6 substances with out sacrificing taste, are loosely centered on Japanese yakitori. We layer on the flavors — initial as a swift marinade for the hen, then as a basting sauce, and last but not least as a ending sauce. The ultimate coating can help sesame seeds or scallions — or the two — adhere to the rooster.

Maple syrup may not be standard, but it punches up the flavor of the glaze with far more complexity than standard sugar without the need of further ingredients. And the heat of freshly grated ginger will help to balance the sugars in the soy sauce glaze.

Serve with rice and a crunchy slaw or make into a sandwich or wrap with shredded greens and a smear of mayonnaise. For effortless cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil.

Get started to end: 40 minutes

• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger OR 3 medium garlic cloves, finely grated OR both of those
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1½ teaspoons sherry vinegar OR cider vinegar
• 2 kilos boneless, skinless hen thighs, halved lengthwise
• Sesame seeds, toasted OR thinly sliced scallions OR both equally

Stir collectively the soy, ginger and oil. In a different bowl, incorporate 3 tablespoons of that with the maple syrup and vinegar. Toss the rooster with the remaining soy mixture. Warmth the broiler with a rack 4 inches from the ingredient. Scrunch the chicken on to metal skewers, then set on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil till effectively browned, about 12 minutes, flipping at the time. Brush lightly with the soy-maple combination, then broil until frivolously charred, 2 to 3 minutes per aspect. Brush with remaining soy-maple combination, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.