Nobu’s Teriyaki Chicken

You would think that someone who has over 500 cookbooks could come up with at least a dozen recipes for boneless, skinless chicken thighs at the snap of a finger, but today, I drew a complete blank.  What to do, what to do, with these little pink mounds of flesh staring blankly back at me from the countertop?  Could I work on solving the world poverty issue instead?  Or figure out the Rubik’s Cube?  Well, I could tackle these problems, but I’d still have to eat tonight, and those rosy chicken thighs that had now defrosted on my kitchen counter reminded me that I may as well tackle the ever present question of what to cook for supper.

I think the paradox with chicken is that while it’s the perfect canvas for any flavour vehicle you choose, it also fuels the daily dinner dilemma of what to cook tonight.  While “chicken” is the answer, it also is not (immediately) the solution.

So, I went to the first book that I thought would offer me the right inspiration, The New York Times Chicken Cookbook, and luckily, today it did.  I quickly settled on Nobu’s Teriyaki Chicken because it seemed surprisingly easy to prepare (for a top restaurant chef recipe), and required few and readily available pantry ingredients.  Chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, and corn starch.  How simple is that?  I’m in!

Once combined, these basic sauce ingredients look like black velvet and taste divine!

What I didn’t quite realize when reading this recipe is how good it would taste.  While my brain was quick-scanning the ease of preparation and short list of ingredients, I overlooked how one simple ingredient, the chicken broth, would dramatically change the whole essence of this dish, to transform it from cheap oriental take out to Asian fine dining.  And Nobu did indeed do that, for all that it’s worth, for all that Teriyaki Chicken could be.  This is Nobu Teriyaki Chicken, and it is miles away from any other teriyaki recipe you’ve tried before.

Look at all of that saucy goodness! Now this is MY definition of finger licking good chicken.

Forget the overly salty, sickeningly sweet concoction of gloopy sauce-cum-glaze atop dry, stringy chicken bits.  This dish is an exemplary demonstration of flavour balancing, and delivers that perfect umami essence in every bite.  Think mild, delicate chicken that tastes of itself, only more so with a hint of sweetness and savouriness.

Now this is a rice bowl you can be proud of! The sauce is sooo good…

You’re only one hot steaming bowl of rice with a side of broccoli away from having a fabulous (and fabulously easy) supper, and it’s going to be a keeper in your repertoire!  This recipe will make enough sauce for the chicken itself, and for spooning on top of all that glorious rice you’re going to serve on the side.  Nobu suggests making home made chicken stock (and go for it, if you have the time or the inclination), but a really good organic chicken stock from your local super market or your favourite brand will do just fine as well.