Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick

• 0.8 lb chicken thigh 360g skinless, boneless cut into 1 inch cubes. (The size of the chicken pieces will impact the cooking time so if you make them too big/ small, they may be undercooked or overcooked.)
• 0.7 lb pineapple Cubed. (About 317g) You can use fresh or canned- the canned would make the chicken skewer sweeter. Use 2 to 3 pieces per teriyaki chicken satay, which amounted to 0.7lb for me (just about 1 can of pineapple cubes, minus 2-3 pieces that I snacked on.) If you don't have any on hand, just omit it or substitute with cut bell peppers.

Sauce Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons sake
• 3 Tablespoons mirin Do not omit. This is crucial to give the characteristic teriyaki glaze and flavor.
• 3 Tablespoons light soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar Can substitute with white sugar
• 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and grated: we will use both the juice and the grated ginger flesh in the marinade. The easiest way to peel ginger is to use the back of a spoon
• 3 Tablespoons sesame oil Omit if you don't have it.
• ½ Tablespoon honey To add to the boiled marinade and use to baste the skewers, to give them a nice char. See recipe post (Step by Step Instructions) for the difference in color between basted and unbasted chicken sticks.
• 2 Tablespoons pineapple brine If using canned pineapple. If not, omit or substitute with a tiny amount of rice vinegar.

Garnish

• ½ Tablespoon sesame seeds Lightly toasted. Omit if you don't have them, but they do add a nice burst of freshness.
• 1 sprig green onions sliced. Also known as spring onions and scallions- click here for green onion substitutes.