Chicken or Duck Hearts with Teriyaki

Method

1. Start by preparing the chicken hearts. Trim any veins/arteries and remove any blood clots. Slice each heart lengthwise, cutting three-quarters of the way through to open it up so it lays flat. If you find any blood clots upon slicing, just rinse under cold water.

2. Put the prepared hearts into a bowl with 115ml teriyaki and allow to marinade for 30-60 minutes.

3. Light a grill or pan-grill to medium high heat.

4. Remove the hearts from the marinade. Thread about four hearts onto the skewer. Repeat until all skewers are full.

5. Put the remaining teriyaki sauce into a small bowl. Use a Microplane or fine grater to grate in the fresh ginger.

6. Lay each skewer onto the grill, brush with the teriyaki/ginger mix. After 2-3 minutes, flip the skewers and baste them again. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, baste and flip over again.

7. For the teriyaki sauce:

8. First put the mirin and sake into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes.

9. Next add the sugar and allow to dissolve. When the sugar has dissolved add the soy sauce, keeping back approximately 20ml of the soy to mix with the potato starch (or cornflour).

10. Mix the required quantity of potato starch, approximately 1-2 tablespoons with the soy and add to the simmering teriyaki sauce. The starch is used to thicken the sauce and give it a syrup texture. If you think it’s not thick enough, add some more potato starch.

11. Take a little of the sauce out of the pan and allow to cool, add the starch and put it back into the saucepan.

12. To serve:

13. Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds, sliced scallions or chives, red chilli and a few sesame seeds and serve immediately on some watercress sprigs or crunchy leaves.