Grilling in New York City—even during summer—is a tricky proposition. Most of us don't have yards, and while a little hibachi on the balcony is an option for some, that presents its own challenges. Upstairs vegan neighbors may not appreciate billows of meaty smoke invading their space, and anyway, have you ever tried using those things? It's really not much fun—unless you enjoy cooking while crouched on your haunches.

So when we lived in Brooklyn, Brian and I belonged to an exclusive club indeed: New Yorkers with Grills. In our first apartment, the kitchen was adjacent to the sagging rooftop of the abandoned building next door, and almost certainly illegally (and rightfully so), we put a little Weber on that roof, which we accessed by climbing through a window.

We grilled. And we prayed—that the roof wouldn't cave in or that the perennially broken window, propped up with a length of 2 x 4, wouldn't crash down on someone's head. In retrospect, we were idiots. But lucky idiots: we made it six years injury-free.

At our next home—in the basement of a brownstone—we had a bona fide backyard with an herb and vegetable garden, a patio set, and a big gas grill that we fired up long into the winter.

Of course, the fantastic outdoor space was all the place had going for it.

Our low-ceilinged, white-tiled studio apartment was damp and cave-like, and our landlady, who lived upstairs, had a crazy Jack Russell whose two favorite activities were howling and racing back and forth for hours across her hardwood floors, nails clickety-clack the entire time. Then—not winded in the least—he'd trot outside and dig up our herbs.

We lasted two years, and then fled to Queens.

Ah, space! Real rooms with real walls! Wood floors! Laundry in the building! A doorman, even! This was a huge step up for us, but required two sacrifices: the possibility of adopting a dog (demonic Jack Russells aside, I do love the creatures), and our beloved outdoor space.

So what's a grill-less grill jockey to do? Number one: remember why you moved in the first place. Number two: make friends with that too-often-neglected underbelly of the oven, the broiler. I know, hovering around the oven isn't nearly as much fun as standing before a smoking-hot grill, tongs at the ready. But the broiler does possess a sort of magic all its own, and it's capable of nicely charred, grill-like results.

Case in point: these moist, highly flavorful chicken skewers, reminiscent of the ones my mom often made. On the grill, of course.





TERIYAKI CHICKEN SKEWERS

2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
2 bunches scallions, cut into 1" lengths
1 cup soy sauce
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons mirin
Bamboo skewers

Soak skewers in water. Combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, and mirin, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Set aside about a third of this marinade. Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and cut each into fourths. Combine remaining marinade, thighs, and scallions in a large Ziploc bag and let marinate in fridge for half an hour. Thread skewers with alternate pieces of chicken and scallion, being careful not to crowd the ingredients. Broil until chicken is cooked through and slightly charred at the edges (my broiler took about 12 minutes). Before serving, dab on a bit of the set-aside marinade. Serve with Japanese rice.


Categories: Main Dishes, Poultry, Japanese and Japanese American Recipes
Technorati Tags: chicken, teriyaki, broiler, japan

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