Yakitori is a Japanese dish in which boneless chicken pieces seasoned with salt (shio) and a soy basting sauce (tare) are threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled over a charcoal fire. This weeknight meal borrows the flavors of traditional yakitori and applies it to salmon and vegetables. A salty-sweet sauce of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic and ginger doubles as a glaze and serving sauce. Tossed with greens, the leftover salmon and vegetables make a nice salad the next day, and the sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week. Brush it onto chicken or pork chops before roasting, or use it to season your next clean-out-the-fridge fried rice.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup canola oil, plus more for greasing
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (from about 3 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
• ⅔ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ⅓ cup turbinado or dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 pound small zucchini (about 3), trimmed and sliced ⅛-inch-thick or other vegetables of your choice
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-low. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add ⅔ cup water, plus the soy sauce, sugar and vinegar, and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and whisk into sauce. Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of sauce for basting, and transfer remaining sauce to a small bowl, for serving.
3. Heat a grill, or a lightly greased cast-iron griddle or grill pan over medium. Season zucchini and other vegetables with salt and pepper and toss with 2 tablespoons oil. Thread onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water or metal ones. Season salmon with salt and pepper and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Thread onto skewers.
4. Preheat the grill on HOH for five minutes.
5. Start cooking with the vegetables as they will need more time. Grill, basting with sauce and turning every few minutes, until salmon and vegetables are caramelized and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes for salmon and 10 to 12 minutes for vegetables. Serve with lemon wedges and reserved sauce for dipping.