00:00Forget the bottle sauce, today we're making Japanese teriyaki chicken completely from scratch in 20 minutes
00:05and not just one style too. A classic version and an ultra crispy twist.
00:10Let's hit the pan and see which you might like.
00:13For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website, just google teriyaki chicken statue to find me.
00:19Place your boneless skin on chicken thighs skin side down on a cutting board.
00:23We're starting with about 450 grams roughly to whole thighs
00:28but you can go up to 600 grams if your pan is big enough.
00:32In fact my two thighs today weigh around 600 grams in total.
00:38Now take a look at this thickest part, see that thick lobe of meat?
00:43Make a shallow cut through it to create a flap then open it up like a book.
00:49This gives us an even thickness across the entire piece which is crucial.
00:54Or you can even use kitchen scissors to do this.
00:58Also, if there are any tendons, just trim them out.
01:02Don't have whole thighs available? No problem.
01:05You can use large bite-sized pieces instead, about 3-4cm.
01:10Flip the thigh skin side up and grab a fork. Lightly prick the skin all over.
01:16Those little fork holes let the fat render out more easily during cooking, preventing the skin
01:22from puffing up like a balloon. Then, pat the surface dry with paper towels.
01:27Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin. Plus, a dry surface helps our glaze stick better later.
01:34Season both sides with a good pinch of salt. That's about one pinch per side.
01:43Since I've got two chicken thighs today, I'm going to show you my two methods side by side.
01:49The traditional Japanese method and an ultra crispy version.
01:54For the classic one where we glaze the whole thing, we dust just the flesh side with potato starch.
02:03The extra crispy method, where we preserve the skin texture, flips the script and does the skin side instead.
02:11Same starch, different placement, different texture.
02:14We're talking about half a tablespoon total.
02:17Potato starch creates more transparency and a signature glossy shine that makes it look so visually stunning.
02:24Corn starch works too, if that's what you have.
02:27Alright, let's get cooking. I'm using a large stainless steel pan today.
02:32Big enough to comfortably fit both of these generous thighs.
02:36Heat your empty pan well over medium heat.
02:39Add about half a tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat the entire surface.
02:44Reduce the heat slightly, then place the chicken steam side down and cook for 7 minutes without moving it.
02:52Now, here's where the techniques split again.
02:55For the extra crispy version, I place a sheet of foil over the chicken and set a moderately heavy,
03:02flat bottomed object on top, like another pan with a bit of water.
03:12This pressure is brilliant because it eliminates hair pockets, ensuring the whole skin makes contact with
03:18a pan for incredibly even crispy. The weight also prevents the skin from curling up at the edges.
03:26While the skin renders, let's mix up our terrific sauce.
03:31In a small bowl, combine 1.5 tablespoon of soy sauce,
03:351.5 tablespoon of mirin, 1.5 tablespoon of sake,
03:391.5 tablespoon of sake, 1.5 teaspoon of sake, 1.5 teaspoon of honey.
03:47Stir until sugar and honey dissolve.
03:51This is a slightly modified version of the traditional Japanese terake ratio,
03:562-2-2-1 for soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. It's a golden ratio that's been perfected over
04:01generations. I like swapping in honey for some of that sugar, but using all sugar works perfectly too.
04:08Need to make substitutions? If you don't have mirin,
04:11Cola makes a great 1-1 swap, surprisingly. I've done it and it worked.
04:16For the sake, white wine or dry sherry substitute fine. If you need to skip both mirin and sake entirely,
04:23check out my alcohol-free version on my website.
04:26For the dashi stock, don't stress about making it from scratch.
04:30Just whisk a pinch of dashi granules into warm water. We're only using a small amount here.
04:36You can even omit it if you don't have it. This is a bonus ingredient.
04:417 minutes have passed. Time to check.
04:44Your chicken should be ready to flip. Turn them over and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
05:02Now, look at all the rendered fat in the pan. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon into a heat-proof
05:13cup.
05:14We're keeping the glaze bright, not greasy. Don't throw the golden chicken fat away though.
05:19Save it for fried rice or shoyu ramen later. It's liquid gold.
05:23Turn off the heat and pour in your teric sauce mixture and grab a spatula.
05:28Scrape up all those brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
05:32Those concentrated drippings are going to supercharge the flavour of our sauce.
05:38Turn the heat back on, this time to medium-high to high.
05:41Bring the sauce to a brisk simmer and let it bubble for 60 seconds.
05:46The sauce should be really moving now.
05:51Nestle the chicken back in, skin side up.
05:56Make sure you add the chicken juice back in as well.
06:00With the traditional batch, this is the moment to baste non-stop,
06:04spooning the glossy sauce over the chicken repeatedly.
06:08But for the extra crispy thigh, we leave the skin alone and glaze only the flesh side.
06:14Think of it as preserving its crunchy dignity.
06:19You're looking for the sauce to thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
06:23It should cling and form a thin paint on the spoon's underside.
06:28This usually takes about 30 to 60 seconds more.
06:33Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, skin side up, and let it rest for 3 minutes.
06:42Now for slicing. Here's a little trade-off to consider.
06:46It's easier to slice skin side down, but slicing skin side up preserves the gorgeous crispiness
06:52we worked so hard to achieve.
06:54Let's try both approaches today.
06:57For the traditional one, I slice it skin side down.
07:05For the extra crispy version, I keep the skin facing up as I cut.
07:10It deserves to stay on display after all the effort.
07:20Slice the chicken into strips and arrange them on your serving plate.
07:28Spoon the glossy glaze over the surface.
07:31Look at the shine.
07:33That's the teri in Japanese teriyaki, meaning the beautiful, tempting, gloss.
07:38For the extra crispy version, save the glaze for the very last moment.
07:44Pour it on right before serving so that the beautiful crunch stays intact.
07:50Serve this with freshly cooked Japanese rice.
07:53The fluffy, slightly sticky texture of Japanese rice is the perfect partner
07:57for soaking up the sweet, savoury glaze.
08:01And there you have it.
08:02Japanese teriyaki chicken in two ways made the authentic pan-glazed way.
08:07Ready for dinner, lunch, or a weeknight when you want something better than takeout,
08:11but don't want to spend the whole night cooking.
08:14Want even more delicious recipes?
08:16Please grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
08:21Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time.
08:23And if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions
08:26by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen.
08:31You'll find the full recipe with all the tips I can fit into this video right on my website.
08:37The link's on the screen now.
08:38And if you're in the mood for more, my favourite recipes playlist is waiting for you next.
08:44Thanks so much for watching, and I'll see you again soon.
08:47I'm going to play the next video.
08:47Right.
08:47All right.
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