#ewew cooks Teriyaki Chicken Don

When eating in a Japanese restaurant, Teriyaki Chicken Don is one of those dishes on the menu that's delicious to eat yet won't cost a bomb.

And that's the reason why it's one of our usual things to order at a Japanese restaurant when we're looking for a budget meal.

It also happens to be a dish that can be replicated at home without too much of a hassle.  I would choose to cook this when I'm looking to have a simple dinner that involves the least amount of washing up! ;)

You start by marinating the deboned chicken leg.  You can cook as many chicken legs as you desire....as long as they fit into one tray in your oven...and you just have to increase the marinade proportionately, of course. Marinade for a good two hours (or overnight).  Please note that this is a rather wet marinade as we'd want a bit that teriyaki sauce to pour over the rice.

Marinade for each boneless chicken leg:

1/2 tbsp Japanese soy
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp olive oil (+ 1/2 tbsp drizzled on the chicken leg just before it goes into the oven)
1/2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Obviously, the marinade above isn't your typical Japanese Teriyaki Chicken recipe but a bit of a fusion.  I make do with whatever I have in the kitchen as there's no point to buy or stock up stuff that I don't often cook with as it'll go to waste later.  Based on the marinade, I substituted mirin and sake with Chinese rice wine, used honey instead of sugar, and added a bit of Chinese and western influence with the rest of the marinade ingredients.

Bake at 200°C for 25 - 30 minutes.  Pour in all the balance marinade liquid as this will act as the sauce for the teriyaki chicken.

It should look a nice golden brown (like this) when it's ready.....and a bit of charring won't hurt either! ^.^

Slice the chicken and pour all the liquid juices that are left in the tray onto the chicken.  The tender and juicy chicken thighs, partnered with a sweet-salty teriyaki sauce, should easily please.

Serve it with plain rice (or Japanese rice) topped with crispy garlic chips and you have yourself a bowl of tasty homemade Teriyaki Chicken Don.  Feel free to add some crunchy slices of Japanese cucumber if you need an element of vegetable in your meal.

It goes just as well with Garlic Fried Rice....but that would involve more cooking and washing up now, wouldn't it? :P  I usually have it with a fried egg and some sauteed vegetables to make it a complete meal.

Amp up the flavours of your plain-looking white rice with a generous sprinkling of furikake and it'll taste even more awesome! ^o^

It'd be easier to substitute tamago with a fried egg (which I do since I don't know how to make nor would I go to the trouble of making tamago) and include some veggies for a bit of a Japanese-Chinese fusion sort of meal.

Now who wouldn't want a complete sumptuous meal like that at home which not only looks visually appealing....but followed up with a promising taste too! ^_~