Grilled Chicken Hearts Recipes

SPICY CUMIN CHICKEN HEART SKEWERS

Steps:

• To make the chicken hearts: Butterfly the chicken hearts by slicing them lengthwise, cutting deeply without cutting them entirely in half.
• Smash the green onions and ginger with clean hands to release their flavors.
• Add the smashed green onions and ginger, along with the Sichuan peppercorns, five-spice powder, cooking wine, and salt to a container along with 1 cup (240 ml) water to make a marinade.
• Add the chicken hearts to the marinade and stir well to combine. Cover the container with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Any longer and you risk over-marinating.
• To grill and serve: Thread 5 chicken hearts onto each skewer. The skewers may be kept refrigerated, covered, before cooking for no longer than 2 hours.
• Prepare a robata or other grill with charcoal that has turned ashy gray and is smoldering hot but not actively emitting flames. Set the skewers down on the grill surface and cook for 2 minutes, then flip over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. When the meat tightens up and oil begins to seep out, it is almost done. At this point, brush the oil on one side of the meat, then sprinkle half of the cumin, red chili powder, and salt, to taste, on top.
• Flip the skewers over and season the other side in the same way. Flip the skewers once more and toast the newly seasoned side for about 30 seconds. Cook for about a minute or so more on each side.
• Remove the cooked skewers to a plate, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
• Note: When brushing oil and sauce on the meat while over the fire, do so sparingly, dabbing off any excess, so it doesn't drip onto the flames. If at any point the flames flare up, remove the skewers from the grill until the flames die down.

GRILLED CHICKEN HEARTS

Steps:

• Marinate chicken hearts in the following mixture: To equal parts of soy sauce and sherry wine add 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon of ground ginger. Let the hearts soak for an hour or two before cooking. Arrange 3 to 4 chicken hearts on each small skewer and grill them until nicely brown on all sides. Bamboo chopsticks can be whittled down to make excellent skewers. Soak them in water for an hour before using or they will burn and char.

CHICKEN HEART YAKITORI SKEWERS

Steps:

• For the tare basting sauce: Heat a medium saucepan over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour the sake into the pan away from you (it may ignite). Burn off some of the alcohol for about 30 seconds. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, chicken powder, scallions and ginger and bring to the boil for about 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn off the heat and evenly divide between 2 tall, heatproof containers like liquid measuring cups. (One will be for quickly marinating and another will be for basting.) Set aside.
• For the yakitori: Skewer the heart halves on each of 20 skewers, alternating every 2 pieces of heart with a scallion piece.
• Put the skewers in one of tare basting sauces while you heat the grill.
• Load a konro grill with hot coals and heat until the coals burn white. Position the grate on top. Alternately, preheat a charcoal grill.
• Remove the skewers from the basting sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the skewers on one side until light brown and slightly crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn over and repeat until the scallions are soft and the hearts are medium, 3 to 5 minutes. Dunk the skewers into the unused tare basting sauce just until the hearts are fully dipped. Drain and place back on the grill for 1 minute on each side. The sauce will caramelize, and the hearts will crisp on the edges.
• Remove from the heat, then sprinkle on some sansho and shichimi and serve hot.