Negima Recipes

YAKITORI NEGIMA

Steps:

• Soak six 10-inch bamboo paddle skewers in water for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the tamari, mirin, sake, brown sugar, garlic and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the ginger. Let cool, then remove 1/4 cup for glazing and set aside the remaining for serving. (The teriyaki glaze can be refrigerated, covered, up to a day before using.)
• Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium-high heat. Lightly coat the hot grates or pan with vegetable oil.
• Thread each skewer with 7 to 8 pieces each of the chicken and scallions, alternating between the two.
• Place the skewers on the grill and lightly sprinkle each with salt. Cook, continuously turning the skewers, until the scallions are tender the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes.
• Brush some of the reserved1/4 cup of glaze all over each skewer. Continue to grill, continuously turning, until the glaze is slightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with the reserved teriyaki sauce.

HOMEMADE NEGIMA

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or broiler till blazing hot.
• Place the meat between two layers of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and pound it gently so that it is about 1/8 inch thick. Unwrap, and brush one side of each piece of meat with a little soy, fish or teriyaki sauce.
• Cut scallions into lengths about the same width as the meat, and place a small bundle of them at one of the narrow ends of each slice. Roll the long way, securing the roll with a toothpick or two. Brush the exterior of the roll with a little more sauce.
• Grill until brown on all sides, a total of about 6 minutes for chicken, 4 to 5 minutes for pork or veal, 4 minutes or less for beef.

BEEF NEGIMAKI

Steps:

• Cut each spring onion in half lengthwise, then cut each length in half into 2 pieces, about 4 inches long. Set aside.
• Trim ends of asparagus spears so that just 4 inches of the floret end remains. Set aside.
• Lay out beef slices on a work surface, like tall rectangles. Place a green and a white portion of onion and 1 piece of asparagus across the bottom of the beef rectangles. Roll each portion tightly into a cylinder; secure each portion with 1 or 2 toothpicks.
• Brush each roll with teriyaki sauce.
• Preheat the grill, grill pan or broiler. Grill or broil for 3 minutes. Turn over and baste each portion again with teriyaki sauce. Cook for another 3 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

NEGIMA (JAPANESE BEEF SCALLION ROLLS)

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or broiler; fire should be quite hot.
• Place the meat between two layers of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound it gently so that it is about 1/8-inch thick.
• Brush one side of each piece of meat with a little soy sauce.
• Cut the scallions into length about the same width as the meat and place a small bundle of them at one of the narrow ends of each slice.
• Roll the long way, securing the roll with a toothpick or two.
• (You can prepare the rolls in advance up to this point; cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before proceeding) Brush the exterior of the roll with a little more sauce.
• Grill until brown on all sides, a total of about 6 minutes for chicken, 4-5 minutes for pork or veal, 4 minutes or less for beef.
• Optional fillers: Scallions work very well; so do chives.
• You could also use small amounts of lightly cooked, chopped spinach or chard; cooked, chopped shiitake (or other) mushrooms; julienned and lightly cooked carrots; parboiled asparagus spears.
• As alternatives to soy sauce, you can use asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam), chinese hoisin sauce, or premade teriyaki sauce.

NEGIMA - BEEF SCALLION ROLLS

Steps:

• Start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler; the fire should be quite hot.
• Mix together the first 3 ingredients, then soak the scallions or chives in the this mixture while you prepare the meat.
• Place the meat between 2 layers of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound it gently with a mallet, the bottom of a cast-iron pan, or rolling pin until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Brush one side of each piece of meat with a little soy sauce.
• Remove the scallions or chives from their soaking liquid and cut them into lengths about the same width as the meat. Place a small bundle of them at one of the narrow ends of each slice, on the soy-brushed side. Roll the long way, securing the roll with a toothpick or two. (You can prepare the rolls in advance up to this point; cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before proceeding.) Brush the exterior of the roll with a little of the soaking liquid.
• Grill or broil until brown on all sides, a total of about 6 minutes for chicken, 4 to 5 minutes for pork or veal, 4 minutes or less for beef.

NEGIMA (GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH GREEN ONION)

Steps:

• Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the tare. In a broiler or on a grill, cook the chicken wings until they are charred over about half their surfaces. In a medium pot, bring the sake and mirin to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the sugar, and cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring. Add the shoyu and chicken wings, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy. Strain the sauce through a strainer lined with cotton cloth-chicken wings can be eaten as a cook's treat or saved for another purpose. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for as long as a month. Reheat the tare before using it, and once every week between uses.
• Cut the chicken thigh and breast into small pieces, about 1 by 1¼ inches. Cut the white part of each green onion into 1¼-inch lengths. Thread two pieces of chicken thigh or breasts and three pieces of long onion or leek alternately on each skewer. When using chicken with skin, folding the edges of the skin, and tuck them between the chicken meat and the long onion or leek to prevent the skin from burning.
• Heat a grill or broiler until hot. Cook the skewered chicken and green onion for 4 minutes, turning the skewers several times. Remove the chicken from the heat, and, with a pastry brush, baste it with tare.
• Return the chicken to the heat, and cook for 2 minutes, turning the skewers several times. Remove the chicken from the heat, and baste again.
• Return the chicken to the heat, and cook it for 2 minutes, turning it. Remove the chicken from the heat, baste it once more, and serve it hot.

TON NEGIMA (GRILLED PORK BELLY AND SCALLION SKEWERS)

Steps:

• Thread the skewers by alternating the pork belly and scallion (about 3 pieces of pork belly and 2 pieces of scallion per skewer) so the pieces cover about 4 inches of skewer. As you work, turn the skewers in a screwing motion to make it easier to pierce the pork and scallion. When the skewers are ready, gently press down on each one with the heel of your hand to compact the meat. Lightly season all sides with salt.
• Preheat a grill to medium-hot. Grill skewers for 5 to 6 minutes, turning every minute to brown evenly. Be careful not to burn the pork belly. Don't hesitate to spray flare-ups with water, or shift skewers as you grill, especially if you notice some skewers browning too fast over a hot spot; trade them with skewers grilling over a less hot part. Serve immediately. Accent with sansho.