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Japan, Camping · Yakitori (Chicken and Leek Skewers with Tare)

Yakitori Tacos with Lime Slaw and Shichimi Mayo

Japanese-Mexican campfire tacos: honey-tare chicken skewers grilled over charcoal, slid into charred corn tortillas with crunchy lime slaw and spicy shichimi mayo.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time40 min
Soaking skewers and lighting charcoal+ 25 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsCook the chicken right through and keep it cold until it goes on the grill.

Method

  1. Soak the bamboo skewers in water. Light the charcoal and wait , until it is covered in white ash and has settled to charcoal (medium heat); spread it evenly and set the grate 8 to 10 cm above.

    charcoal (medium heat)

  2. Cut the chicken thighs into 2.5 cm pieces, a little smaller than classic yakitori so they sit neatly in a taco, and thread them tightly onto 4 skewers. Wash your hands and board after handling raw chicken.

    Add in this stepBoneless chicken thigh, skin on 300 g

  3. Make a honey tare: put the soy sauce, mirin, honey and grated garlic in a 14 cm small pot over medium heat and simmer for , until slightly thickened and it coats a spoon thinly. Honey burns more easily than sugar, so stir and keep the heat moderate. Pour some into a cup for brushing.

    Add in this stepSoy sauce 2 tbspMirin 2 tbspHoney 1 tbspGarlic cloves, grated 1

    medium heat

  4. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can and thinly slice the spring onions. Toss them with the juice of half of the lime and the salt, and leave to soften slightly while you grill. Stir the mayonnaise and shichimi together in a small bowl.

    Add in this stepCabbage 120 gSpring onions 2Lime ½Salt 1 pinchMayonnaise 2 tbspShichimi togarashi ½ tsp

  5. Grill the skewers over charcoal (medium heat) for , turning every minute, until opaque all over and lightly charred at the edges. Brush with tare and grill for more, brushing and turning 2 to 3 times, until sticky and glossy. When the largest piece is firm with clear juices (75 °C in the centre), move them to a clean plate.

    charcoal (medium heat)

  6. Warm the tortillas directly on the grate over charcoal (medium heat), about 30 seconds per side, until soft, puffed in spots and lightly charred, in total, and stack them in a clean cloth to keep warm. Slide the chicken off the skewers with a fork. Fill each tortilla with slaw, chicken, a drizzle of shichimi mayo and cilantro, and serve with the remaining lime cut into wedges.

    Add in this stepCorn tortillas (15 cm) 4Fresh cilantro (coriander) to tasteLime ½

    charcoal (medium heat)

Cook's tip

If corn tortillas crack, they are too cold or dry: flick a few drops of water over them and warm them a little longer. Make the slaw no more than 30 minutes ahead so it stays crunchy, and brush on the honey tare only at the end, as it scorches quickly.

Cooking it at camp

Skewer the chicken and mix the tare and shichimi mayo at home, and keep everything in a cooler below 5 °C; tortillas travel fine in their bag. With only a camp stove, cook the skewers in a cast-iron griddle pan over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, glaze them, then warm the tortillas in the dry pan. Keep raw-chicken tongs separate and soak the coals thoroughly before you leave.