My son is visiting from LA this week and I’m in all my glory cooking for him. Any and all requests are fulfilled. He always jokes that I may not have a particular store bought prepared food in the house, but I will always have the ingredients to make it! Or it’s a good bet that I just might have it in my freezer ready to be called into action at a moment’s notice.
Tonight he asked for Chicken Teriyaki. This is a recipe that never gets old. I’ve been making it for so many years I actually don’t remember its source, but I have an inkling I found it in a magazine in the early years of my marriage. In those days I was just discovering how much I loved cooking. To be able to take a few simple ingredients and turn them into a delicious finished dish was enchanting to me. Even better was the satisfied look on my husband’s face after having tasted it.
Although the name is chicken teriyaki it differs from a traditional Japanese teriyaki sauce in that the main ingredient is fresh lemon juice and there is no sugar in the marinade. The addition of the soy sauce, with the ginger and garlic produces a sauce that doesn’t overpower the taste of the grilled (or broiled, if you like) chicken, but complements it beautifully.
The original recipe as I have it written was for six split chicken breasts with skin on. I like to marinate breasts, wings, thighs, and legs, or any combination, but always with the bone in which allows you to cook the chicken to the proper doneness without drying it out.
Marinate the chicken covered in the refrigerator for several hours, or preferably overnight, turning occasionally. Baste often during cooking, but remember to discard the remaining marinade. You don’t want the food safety police to chase you down. Seriously, when preparing chicken you do what to be very careful to prevent cross contamination, which means you’ll be washing your hands a whole lot as well as your kinves, sink, etc., you get the picture.
Below is the original single recipe for 6 split chicken breasts, but it is easily adjusted for larger quantities. I’ve been known to make 4 or 5 X the single recipe. I like to cook big! Did I mention that the leftover cold chicken is divine?
Here we go…
Chicken Teriyaki
Marinate chicken with a sauce made from:
½ cup fresh lemon juice ( you must use fresh, nothing else will do)
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic salt
