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Korean Chicken Kebabs
Summer 2004

The presentation of these colorful kebabs isn’t traditional, but the sweet-salty sesame marinade evokes the very soul of Korean cuisine. The traditional meat would be beef, and it would be cooked at table-side on a pan that looks like an inverted wok, but I like the smoky flavor that comes with grilling chicken.

Prep time: 40 minutes
Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes
Equipment: 4 large or 8 small skewers
Ease of preparation: Easy

Ingredients

Marinade
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted (see Tip), divided
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, trimmed and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Kebabs
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 carrots, peeled
24 pearl onions or small boiling onions
24 snow peas, trimmed

To Make:

1. To prepare marinade: Combine 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, honey (or sugar), oil, garlic, scallions, ginger, crushed red pepper and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk until the honey (or sugar) is dissolved.
2. Trim any fat from chicken and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cut carrots on the diagonal into 3/4-inch pieces. Blanch in boiling water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and refresh under cold water. Boil onions until just tender: 2 to 4 minutes for pearl onions, 4 to 6 minutes for boiling onions. Remove with a slotted spoon, refresh under cold water and peel. Boil snow peas for 1 minute; remove with a slotted spoon and refresh under cold water.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high. To prepare kebabs: Thread the chicken, carrots, onions and snow peas (bend to skewer through in two places), alternating colors, onto skewers.
5. Oil the grill grate. Grill the kebabs, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer the kebabs to a platter and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame seeds.

Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 262 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 5 g fiber; 389 mg sodium.

Tip: To toast sesame seeds: Stir sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate or small bowl to cool.