Hot summer evenings call for cooking outside. Try these fun, grilled yakitori skewers paired with a slightly chilled red wine.
The bright acidity and light profile of Bonterra’s Young Red ($16) shows best when served chilled, and its fresh style and lively fruit flavors make for a tantalizing pairing to anything with a touch of spice and smoke, such as yakitori skewers, which combine sweet and heat, tamed on the palate by the fruit-forward flavors of the wine. 
These slightly sweet, caramelized, smoky skewers, Bonterra Young Red will cool both you and your palate down on a hot summer night. Add a zippy and refreshing tomato, cucumber and watermelon salad to complement the Young Red’s red fruity and berry notes.
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Yakitori Skewers and Red Wine
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 knob fresh ginger (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 8 boneless (skinless chicken thighs)
- 2 Meyer lemons (thinly sliced with zest reserved)
- 1 small bunch chives
- 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine the brown sugar, mirin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and ginger in a small saucepot.
- Remove ½ cup and combine with the chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Marinate for 1-2 hours in fridge. Simmer the rest of the marinade to reduce to a thin syrup. Set aside.
- Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto skewers, alternating with the Meyer lemon slices. Grill over high heat, basting with marinade and turning occasionally, until well caramelized and fully cooked.
- Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with lemon zest, snipped chives, and sesame seeds.
