Ingredients:

  • 2 Large Chicken Thighs (boneless, skin-on)
  • 2 tbsp Shoyu (Japanese Soy Sauce)
  • 2 tbsp Sake
  • 2 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tsp Neutral Oil

Instructions:

  1. Pat the chicken skin bone-dry with paper towels to ensure a crispy texture. Season only the flesh side with a small pinch of salt.
  2. Place chicken skin-side down in a cold, heavy-bottomed skillet with 1 teaspoon of neutral oil. Turn heat to medium-low.
  3. Render the fat slowly for 8–10 minutes without moving the chicken, until the skin is mahogany-colored and very thin.
  4. Whisk the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar in a small bowl to create the glaze.
  5. Flip the chicken to the flesh side and increase heat to medium. Pour the glaze into the pan.
  6. Simmer the sauce until it reduces into a thick, glossy syrup that coats the back of a spoon. Baste the chicken briefly before serving.