Yakitori

Grilled chicken, spring onions and chicken livers.

To serve 4

21/2 tablespoons sake (rice wine)
21/2 teaspoons Japanese soya sauce
11/2 teaspoons sugar
A 1-inch piece scraped fresh ginger root, cut into paper-thin slices.
8 chicken livers, trimmed of all fat
2 whole chicken breasts or 4 legs, boned and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 spring onions, including 3 inches of the green stalks, cut into 1-to 11/2 – inch-long pieces
5/8 pint teriyaki sauce
Kona sansho (Japanese pepper)

Prepare In Advance:
1. Put the sake, soya sauce, sugar and sliced ginger into a mixing bowl and add the chicken livers. Turn them about in the marinade to moisten them well, and marinate at room temperature for at least 6 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. Then remove thelivers from the marinade and cut each one in half. Reserve the marinade.
2. String 4 halved chicken livers on each of 4 small skewers. Alternate 4 chunks of chicken with 3 strips of spring onion on 8 additional skewers.

To Cook:
Preheat the grill, or light a hibachi or charcoal grill. Grill the skewered livers about 3 inches from the heat for about 4 minutes. Then dip them in the teriyaki sauce and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on the other side. Set the livers aside on a plate.
Quickly dip the chicken and spring onion skewers into the teriyaki sauce and grill on one side for 2 to 3 minutes. Dip again into the sauce, grill for 2 minutes, dip once more, and grill on the other side for an additional 2 minutes. The entire grilling should take 6 to 7 minutes in all.

To Serve:
Place 1 skewer of chicken livers and 2 skewers of chicken and spring onions on each serving plate. Sprinkle with a little kona sansho, and moisten each skewer with a teaspoon or so of the marinade.