Yakitori With Citrussy Hot Honey Recipe
by Gurdeep Loyal
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Easy
I first encountered Mike’s Hot Honey in Williamsburg, New York a decade ago – when it seemed like every food establishment in the neighbourhood had bottles of the stuff on their tables, regardless of the cuisine they were serving. Hot honey’s popularity has sky-rocketed in recent years; there are now entire aisles devoted to the stuff in hipster delis around the world. In this recipe, I’ve combined honey’s nectar sweetness with Japanese flavours – adding the citrussy notes of yuzu koshō and moreish burn of red chilli. Drizzled over freshly charred yakitori, it’s easy to see what all the fuss is about.
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Recipe extracted from: Flavour Heroes by Gurdeep Loyal (Quadrille, £27), Photography © Patricia Niven
Ingredients for Yakitori with citrussy hot honey Serves: 12
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
- 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp caster sugar
- 750g skinless, boneless chicken thighs or pork loin, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 6 large spring onions, sliced into 2.5cm lengths
- vegetable oil, for drizzling
- shichimi tōgarashi, to sprinkle
- fine sea salt
Ingredients for the hot honey
- 30g butter
- 1 large red chilli, slivered
- 2 tbsp yuzu koshō
- zest of 1⁄2 lemon
- 100g runny honey
How to make Yakitori with citrussy hot honey
- First, marinate the chicken or pork. Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Stir in the meat to cover on all sides and refrigerate for at least 4–6 hours.
- To make the hot honey, melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the chilli, yuzu koshō and lemon zest. Sizzle over a medium heat for 1 minute, then add the honey and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt. Warm through for 1–2 minutes, whisking well, then pour into a bowl and leave to cool.
- Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Thread spring onion and marinated meat alternately onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little oil.
- Cook under the hot grill for 5 minutes, then turn and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn again and cook for a final 4–6 minutes until charred and cooked through.
- Finally brush over a little of the hot honey, and cook for a final 1 minute until scorched and sticky on top. Serve piled high onto plates with more hot honey on the side and a sprinkle of shichimi tōgarashi to garnish.
About the author
Gurdeep Loyal is a British-born food writer and culinary consultant known for his bold fusion of British and Indian flavors. Raised in Leicester by Punjabi parents, his cooking reflects a rich blend of heritage and innovation. With experience leading food trends at major brands like Marks & Spencer and Harrods, he now shares his expertise through writing, consultancy, and his online platform, Mother Tongue, which celebrates hybrid culinary cultures.
