Hoisin Chicken Kababs
serves 4

This rich, tangy sauce is ideal for chicken, and it works well with fish, shrimp, scallops, beef, pork, and lamb, too. To make  it easy to turn the skewers on the grill, thread 2 bamboo skewers through the chicken cubes (the skewers should be parallel to each other, about 1/4-inch apart), which keeps them from spinning when you lift the skewers.

1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry, mirin*, or white wine
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

In a medium bowl, mix together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry (or mirin or white wine, if using), sesame oil, brown sugar, and cayenne (if using). Add chicken and marinate meat in mixture for anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours.

Remove meat from marinade, reserving liquid, and thread onto skewers. Cook skewers on grill over medium-high heat, turning and basting frequently, until cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.

If desired, while marinated meat is cooking, place remaining marinade in small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, at least 5 minutes until sauce thickens.

Serve kebabs with extra sauce for dipping.

* Mirin is a Japanese rice wine used for cooking. Find it in Asian markets or the Asian foods aisle of many supermarkets.