Monday, July 7, 2008

Devil's in the Details: Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki chicken by itself is a pretty simple dish. On the surface, there's not a whole lot to it - sauce and chicken, cooked, probably served over rice. Maybe with a side of veggies. However, it is in the application of these simple elements that things often go amok, the result being a lackluster chicken. I know we talked about another application of this delicious sauce not all that long ago, but my love for a good teriyaki chicken makes me feel the need to share my tips with you.

The Basics: What is Teriyaki?
Well, Wikipedia tells us that:

The word teriyaki derives from the noun teri (η…§γ‚Š, teri), which refers to a shine or luster given by the sugar content in the tare (sauce), and yaki (焼き, yaki), which refers to the cooking method of grilling or broiling.
What does this tell us about teriyaki? Well, first it tells us that we are looking for some delicious caramelization of the sauce on the outside of the meat, and it even goes so far as to tell us how to get that - through grilling or broiling the marinated meat. Teriyaki chicken is not baked! This is an important distinction to make. I've seen chicken marinated in a perfectly fine teriyaki sauce baked in the oven as one would with many other marinated chicken dishes, and the result, while somewhat tasty, is definitely not teriyaki chicken. Without the caramelization and slight char on the chicken, you do not experience the same combination of flavors that teriyaki was made for.

Let's break down the three components of the process that determine our end result in order to create a truly hassle-free and delicious teriyaki chicken:

The Chicken
Good eats start with good meats, and good meats are often very subjective. It is a matter of preference whether you like white or dark meat, and I'm not going to tell you what's right here. Skin and bones, however, are important to discuss. Now, bone-in chicken will take longer to cook, and is often better if you plan to be grilling your chicken as it can impart a flavor all its own as it cooks. Some purists will tell you that your chicken must have skin in order to be real teriyaki chicken, but skin-on chicken has a lot more potential for screw-ups. While a crispy skin can add a wonderful flavor to the chicken, a soggy, flabby skin takes so much more away. If you're comfortable working with skin-on chicken, then by all means go for it! I personally recommend boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the cook just learning to make teriyaki chicken. They're foolproof and very tasty!
If you are using frozen chicken, make sure the chicken is at least slightly thawed before marinating in order to have it soak up the flavor faster. Speaking of which!

The Sauce
Now I talked a bit about sauce when I talked about teriyaki burgers. In case you missed it:
Teriyaki Sauce: You will either find this in the "Asian Foods" aisle or with the BBQ sauces and Marinades. A good teriyaki sauce is nice and thick, and coats the sides of the bottle like cough syrup. A common brand that I recommend is 'Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce' - and it's Kosher, too!
This all applies here, too. Okay, so I got a bit lazy on the sauce part. But trust me, this is important to remember! Marinate your chicken for at least two hours for the best flavor.

Cooking
While grilling and broiling are most certainly the most traditional methods of making teriyaki chicken, the home cook with less experience will find cooking in a pan on stovetop much easier. Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat with a small amount of vegetable oil, no more than 1-2 tablespoons. When the skillet is hot, add your chicken breasts. Spoon a bit of sauce over the breast, let cook 2-3 minutes, then flip and spoon sauce over the other side. Continue applying sauce and flipping until you get a nice dark caramelization and slight char on the outside of each breast. If you cut open the breast, the meat should be white all the way through and the juices should run clear. I recommend you cut open the breast to check done-ness until you get the hang of what a "done" breast looks like.

Serve over sticky rice with some extra sauce from the bottle, if desired. Goes great with a bit of blanched broccoli.

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