Cassie’s Ruminations

Chicken “Cherryaki”

Yeah, cheesy title 😛 I’m not sure when Shaun and I first heard the word “cherryaki,” but the internet says it’s from a pepto bismol commercial, which rings a jingle bell in my memory, and at any rate it’s been a running joke with us for some time now. The more I thought about it, though, the more I thought it might well be something tasty. I poked the internet for recipes with little response, and then made my own way from my own teriyaki sauce and some vague ideas about things that go well with cherries. This turned out amazingly well. I used cherry preserves in the sauce this time, but they lent a bit of an artificial flavor that was just the slightest off note, so next time I’m upping the amount of whole cherries to 1.5 cups or even 2 and adding a splash of kirschwasser. I’ve written it as made below, but if you make my changes above, let me know how it goes! Some steamed broccoli and cauliflower rounded out the meal.

Chicken “Cherryaki”
Serves 4

For the sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sake
1/8 cup mirin
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 cup cherry preserves
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup frozen or fresh sweet cherries, pitted
2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp cold water

For the rest:
2 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil

Put a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry and bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and preserves into the sauce. Add the cornstarch slurry and return the sauce to a boil, stirring well. Let simmer until fully and evenly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Turn heat to low and keep warm.

Heat the oils in a large skillet or a wok over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Let cook for 1-2 minutes or until starting to brown nicely. Stir and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through.

Pour the sauce into the wok with the chicken and toss to coat well. Turn off heat and serve hot.