Oriental Chicken Thighs

Serves 4.

For a traditional presentation, serve these thighs with noodles and wilted spinach leaves, while flavouring with chopped garlic, fresh ginger and light soy sauce.

12 skinless and boneless chicken thighs

For the marinade: 5 tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp mirin or dry sherry

3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

3 tbsp unrefined soft brown sugar

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Take a shallow dish and combine the soy, mirin (or dry sherry), chilli sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic. Add the chicken thighs and turn them in the marinade to ensure they’re fully coated. Refrigerate for at least two hours — and up to 24 hours — while turning from time to time. Remove the thighs from the fridge about an hour before cooking.

Cook the thighs over hot coals on a barbecue grill for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to cook on both sides, basting with marinade several times as you go. Serve immediately.

For a grilled teriyaki tuna variation: take 4 tuna steaks (about 2.5cm thick), marinate as above and cook over hot coals on an oiled grill for 2 minutes on each side. Serve at once.