Recipe: Japanese barbecue skewer medley

Bring everyone to the table with these flavourful Japanese-inspired yakitori skewers.

This medley of skewers is inspired by Japanese yakitori (yakitori literally means grilled chicken). The variety of meats makes it easy to cater for different tastes without having to prepare a whole lot of separate dishes.

Japanese barbecue skewer medley

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

300g lamb rump

300g beef steak

3-4 skinless boneless chicken thighs

10 raw whole tiger prawns, shell removed

Sesame oil, for frying

Marinade:

¾ cup soy sauce

¼ cup honey, melted

¼ cup sake

2 tsp ginger, finely grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 Tbsp sesame oil

Salt and pepper

To Garnish:

A handful of chives, roughly chopped

A sprinkle of sesame seeds, lightly toasted

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Method

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve half the marinade for grilling, then spoon the other half into four large resealable bags.
2. Cut the beef, lamb, and chicken into thin strips.
3. Pop prawns, chicken, beef and lamb into the bags, squish them around a bit to ensure everything is well coated, then seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the barbecue to 200C.
5. Thread the prawns, chicken, beef, and lamb on to separate skewers.
6. Grill on the barbecue for 8-10 minutes, basting with the remaining marinade, and turning halfway. The prawns may cook more quickly so keep an eye on them. When cooked to your liking, remove from the grill and garnish with chives, toasted sesame seeds and spring onions.

NOTE: You can use either metal or bamboo skewers. If using bamboo ones, soak them in water for 30 minutes before using - this prevents them from charring too much on the barbecue.