Chicken Teriyaki

Wonder why the chicken teriyaki you recreate at home never tastes like that from restaurant? Forget about bottled Teriyaki sauce. I have no idea why they put shallots, garlic, sherry vinegar, and 50 other ingredients in there.

Authentic teriyaki sauce only needs four ingredients: equal parts of mirin, sake, Japanese soy sauce and brown sugar, or honey. Incredibly easy, isn't it?

My boyfriend has a weak spot for Chicken Teriyaki. There is this small Japanese place tucked deep in a food court inside a mall on the way from New York to Connecticut. Every time we're going to pass the mall for some reason, he started getting excited one week ahead of time just because he got to eat the chicken teriyaki again in the mall. I always think it's partially the food, and partially the memory of childhood. 

3 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless skin-on chicken legs

     For the marinade:

• 1/4 cup mirin 
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup low sodium Kikkoman soy sauce

     For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1/4 cup mild flavored honey
• 1/4 cup low sodium Kikkoman soy sauce

Direction:

1. Marinate the chicken legs for at least an hour before cooking.
2. Use a small sauce pan to heat up the sauce on medium heat. Stir until the sauce becomes glossy. (The sauce won't get as thick as the bottled type) 
3. Heat up a griddle sprayed with canola oil on high heat. Put the chicken legs skin side down and grill for about 4 minutes, basting with the marinade constantly. Flip over and cook the other side for another 3 minutes, basting with the marinade constantly too. Turn heat to medium and cover the griddle with a lid and let it steam for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it stay for another 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the griddle. Remove the chicken skin if you don't like to eat it. Cut into bite size pieces. Serve with brown rice and steamed vegetables. Drizzle more sauce on top.