Chicken Yakitori and Vegetable Skewers

Yakitori is easy to make. Chicken and a variety of vegetables are cut into bite-size morsels and then threaded on skewers and cooked on the grill (preferably bichotan or charcoal fire). The skewers are basted with shoyu tare, a sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. I like to alternate pieces of negi (onion) with the chicken for best flavor. In addition to the chicken, I also make grilled skewers of seasonal vegetables, including shishito peppers, shiitake mushrooms, and fava beans, as well as boiled quail eggs. They are all in the yakitori family, even though yakitori means “grilled chicken.” If you don’t have a grill, yakitori can also be made in a skillet or in the broiler. I serve the yakitori with shichimi togarashi (homemade or store-bought), sansho pepper, salt, and yuzu kosho, so each eater can season as desired.