A few years back I was asked by the men in my family (3 boys and a husband) what I would like for my birthday. “A garden grill” I answered in front of 4 pairs of surprised eyes. They didn’t let me down (as always) and my grill had been my partner in my cooking experiments ever since. Grilling meat or veggies is really (I mean really) easy. All you need is a good marinade or a flavorful spice rub. Marinating chicken in soy is a definite win. Adding mirin just makes it perfect. This chicken is so delicious it’s hard to describe. It’s sweet and spicy, sticky and moist. Perfect for a quick meal. Just serve with rice or a summery salad.

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken thighs, no skin or bone (8 thighs)
• 1/3 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3 Tbs sweet chilli sauce
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbs fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp chilli powder
• olive oil for brushing
• sesame seeds and chopped spring onion for sprinkling

Method

Put thighs in a large bowl. Mix all the raining ingredients to make a marinade. Pour marinade over chicken. Let it sit for 2-4 hours.

Remove thighs from marinade, reserving marinade in a saucepan. Put saucepan over high heat and boil marinade for about 8 minutes until it thickens slightly and has a syrupy consistency.

Thread chicken thighs on double skewers (2 on each skewer), like an acordeon. Turn on grill, on high. Brush chicken with olive oil on both sides. Grill chicken, basting with the marinade, turning 3-4 times, until nicely caramelised and chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onion and serve at once with rice and a green salad.