I love everything Japanese: cars, electronics, architecture, philosophy and cuisine. Cuisine especially, because Japanese masters can transform every product not only into an explosion of flavors, but also into small works of art. Just look at a sushi platter or a bowl of ramen—appetizing, colorful and simply beautiful. And very tasty, just like dishes from a Japanese grill.
In Japan, pieces of eel, salmon or ordinary chicken make their way onto the grill. And when they become beautifully browned, the sauce takes center stage. But not just any sauce—teriyaki sauce. Its name comes from the Japanese verb teru, meaning to shine or glow, because it gives dishes a beautiful, deep color and sheen.
Teriyaki sauce became firmly established in culinary dictionaries in the 1960s, during the boom in Japanese restaurants in the United States. Today, across the ocean, you can even eat a burger or hot dog with teriyaki sauce, while store shelves are bending under the weight of bottles of ready-made sauce. Teriyaki is so simple, however, that you can easily make it in your own kitchen.
Teriyaki chicken with broccoli rice is one of my favorite quick recipes for lunch. The pieces of chicken—I like boneless thigh meat—only need to be tossed into an ordinary or grill pan. There is no need to season them. The teriyaki sauce is enough. Brush the grilled pieces with the sauce, slice them and they are ready.
I usually serve it with rice. But, just like the chicken, the rice is not ordinary. I enrich it with broccoli. I cook well-rinsed rice in a pot, not in a packet. Delicate jasmine rice, which cooks quickly, works best. Meanwhile, I put the broccoli florets and stems into a food processor and process them into grains the size of buckwheat groats. I add them to the rice literally 2–3 minutes before the end of cooking. That is enough to soften the broccoli. Add steamed vegetables, and a meal like one from a Japanese restaurant is ready!
If you like Asian flavors, be sure to try fried ginger pork.
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Enjoy!
Recipe
Ingredients
TERIYAKI SAUCE
- 125 ml soy sauce
- 125 ml water
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 finely chopped garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vodka
TERIYAKI CHICKEN
- 600 g boneless chicken thighs
- 150 ml teriyaki sauce
BROCCOLI RICE
- 150 g jasmine rice
- 250 g broccoli
Method
TERIYAKI SAUCE
Mix the water, vodka and soy sauce in a saucepan. Add the honey and sugar and stir. Add the garlic and ginger to the mixture. Stir and place over the heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cool and pour into a jar. Store in the refrigerator.
TERIYAKI CHICKEN
Very gently pound the chicken pieces with a meat mallet through a piece of plastic wrap. Brush with oil and fry on a grill pan on both sides. Remove from the pan. Brush both sides with teriyaki sauce and slice.
BROCCOLI RICE
Rinse the rice thoroughly under running water. Drain. Put it in a pot and cover with a glass of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the minimum, cover the pot and cook the rice for about 10 minutes. Cut the broccoli, including the stems, into smaller pieces. Put it in a food processor and pulse until it resembles grains the size of buckwheat groats. Add the broccoli to the simmering rice and mix well. Add 1/3 cup of water. Increase the heat slightly and cook for another 4 minutes.