Chicken Yakitori

• Bamboo skewers
• 500g chicken thighs, deboned and skinless
• 1 leek, well rinsed
• 1 teaspoon sansho spice
• 1 teaspoon shichimi spice
• Vegetable oil for cooking

The Sauce

• 120ml soy sauce
• 60ml mirin
• 60ml sake
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

1. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.

2. In a small saucepan, add all of the sauce ingredients, dissolving the brown sugar, then bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.

3. Cut both the leek and chicken thighs into 2 cm-sized pieces, approximately the same size and width. Beginning with the chicken pieces, thread the skewers by alternating between chicken and leek; each skewer should hold 4 slices of chicken and 3 pieces of leek.

4. Preheat your frying pan on a medium high heat. Oil lightly.

5. Place the skewers onto the hot pan and cook for 2-3 minutes before turning. Brush the skewers with some of the sauce again, and then turn and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.

6. Repeat this process until the chicken is cooked through and all of sauce has been used.

7. Transfer the skewers to a serving plate. To garnish, sprinkle sansho and shichimi spices over the top of the skewers and serve immediately.