Tsukune: Japanese grilled chicken meatballs with shishito peppers
I’ve been racking my brains about what to write about this week and the calendar presented a solution: its Memorial Day weekend in this part of the world, the unofficial start of summer. So to kick off the BBQ season here’s a recipe for tsukune (つくね), Japanese-style grilled chicken meatballs. Yakitori – literally grilled chicken – are one of my favorite things to eat, Japanese or otherwise, and I’ve had countless variations over the years. But this rendition – lightly adapted from a recipe in Food and Wine Magazine – is one of the best I’ve ever had.
Tsukune: Japanese grilled chicken meatballs with shishito peppers
Author: Oishii-Rasoi; adapted from Food and Wine Magazine
Cuisine: Japanese
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless, boneless chick thighs, chopped (makes about 8 meatballs)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp mirin
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2" piece ginger
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 4-5 shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 3 scallions, diced
- 2 tbsp shiro miso (white miso)
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 8 shishito peppers
- salt
- canola or other neutral oil for grilling
- 4 bamboo or metal skewers
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, soak in cold water for a few hours.
- Thinly slice half of the ginger and garlic and finely mince the other half (keeping them separate).
- Place the soy sauce, mirin, sliced garlic and ginger, and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat for about 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust flavors (the sauce should be a bit sweet). Remove from stove and set aside.
- In a food processor finely mince the mushrooms, ⅔d of the diced scallions, and chicken. Transfer to a bowl and add the miso, minced ginger and garlic, sesame oil, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Mix until well blended.
- Heat a small nonstick pan over medium-low and cook a third of the chicken mixture, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat, until almost done. Stir back into the bowl and mix well with the uncooked mixture.
- Place a broiler pan over a foil-lined baking pan to catch drippings. Lightly grease with oil.
- Shape the ground meat into ¾"-thick, 3"-diamater patties. Thread 2 patties and shishito each per skewer and place on the broiler pan. Once all the skewers are prepared refrigerate the pan for 15-20 minutes until the meat is firm.
- When ready to cook turn on the broiler on high. Brush the patties and peppers lightly with the oil and sauce and cook for 4-5 minutes until slightly charred. Turn over, baste with the sauce, and grill for another few minutes until done.
- Garnish with the remaining scallions and serve hot.
