Chicken teriyaki

I like to cook and eat.  One of my favorite things to cook and eat is chicken teriyaki.  I used to frequent a place in Corvallis when I was in school at Oregon State because it was right near my building and the chicken teriyaki bowl was delicious.  It was years before I figured out one of the secrets. 

I’m mostly self-taught as a cook, but I still feel a little dumb not realizing that the secret to the tasty rich chicken was using thighs instead of breast meat.  Perhaps they also used a little vitamin MSG as well. 

I like the chicken teriyaki bowl because it’s represents a one-bowl three-tiered food pyramid affair.  The rice makes up the grain, then the steamed vegetables, with the chicken and other savory bits on top.  Here’s what I do:

The rice.  I use a rice cooker, which I love though I feel like I couldn’t make rice without it.  Sometimes I use white rice, though more often I use brown rice.  In any event I use short-grained rice.  With brown rice I use a ratio of 2:1, and add a little salt and a little canola oil or sesame oil.  I wash my rice also.

For the teriyaki sauce, I usually start with this recipe, though I’ve only recently started buying mirin.  Sometimes I’ll substitute some rice vinegar, or beer, or white wine.  Sometimes I’ll just use soy sauce and water for the liquids.  I mix it up with the sugars a bit, using more brown sugar, or maybe molasses, or even honey.  But if you don’t have ginger or garlic on hand, try it another night. 

I cut the chicken into bite-sized bits, using about a pound –pound and a half. I’ll use either straight thighs or a mix of thigh and breast meat.  I usually don’t marinate it for long, as little as 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile I’ll chop the veggies for steaming, usually just carrots and cabbage.  I use red cabbage, which costs a little more than green cabbage and perhaps not in the Japanese tradition, but I like using the anthocyanin-rich purple water that develops as a bonus pH indicator.  I get a nice steam going, and add the cabbage first, and a couple of minutes later the carrots.  Depending on how soft you like your vegetables, you could leave them for 4-8 minutes or so. I usually just test them with a fork after a few minutes.  Don’t let your water boil off, like I do, only too often. 

Meanwhile, I start the tastiest bit.  I add some canola oil and sesame oil to a sauce or deep fry pan.  I usually mix the two oils because canola is less unhealthy but sesame oil has that wonderful flavor.  Sometimes I start with onion, other times no onion.  If so I add the onion once the oil is hot, and when they turn translucent I usually add chopped button mushrooms.  Once the mushrooms are mostly cooked I add the chicken with the marinade and cook until done, about 7-10 minutes. 

In the bowl you should have mostly rice, less veggies, and then the chicken and sauce on top.  Enjoy!