Anonymous August 20 2005

9 ounces ground chicken breast meat

9 ounces ground chicken leg meat

2 large green onions, chopped

2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sansho powder

1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce

16 10-inch bamboo skewers, soaked 1 hour in water

2 tablespoons mirin

Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice seasoning)

Mix first 7 ingredients and 1 teaspoon soy sauce in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Brush baking sheet with water. Using

wet hands, shape generous 1/4 cup chicken mixture into 4-inch-long

log. Insert 2 skewers lengthwise into meat, each slightly off

center. Push skewers all the way through meat, leaving 3 inches of

skewers exposed on each end. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining chicken mixture and skewers to form total of 8

skewers. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Mix

remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and mirin in small bowl. Space 2

bricks 4 1/2 inches apart and wide sides down on grill. Working in

batches, suspend skewers across bricks, allowing skewer ends to rest

on bricks (meat will not touch grill). Cook until golden, turning

occasionally, about 8 minutes. Brush with soy sauce mixture and cook

until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Brush with

more soy sauce mixture; transfer to plates. Sprinkle with shichimi

togarashi. Ingredient tips: Sansho powder,

made from the dried ground berries of prickly ash, has a peppery,

lemony flavor. Mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) adds sweetness,

while shichimi togarashi - a spice blend that usually contains red

chile flakes, dried orange peel, white sesame seeds, black sesame

seeds, poppy seeds, nori flakes, and ginger - lends depth of flavor.

Look for these ingredients in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets or at Japanese markets. Makes 8

first-course servings.