Steps

1. Trim excess fat and tendons from 2 chicken thighs.
   🕒 00:16
2. Prick the skin of the chicken with the tip of a knife.
   🕒 00:28
3. Flip the chicken and prick the underside similarly.
   🕒 00:43
4. Use the back of a knife to pound the chicken about 50 times, breaking down the fibers for tenderness and to flatten it.
   🕒 00:56
5. Cut the chicken into 6 equal pieces for easy eating.
   🕒 01:17
6. Place the cut chicken pieces skin-side up on paper towels and sprinkle a pinch of salt on the skin to draw out moisture.
   🕒 01:36
7. Prepare shredded leek. Roughly chop 1 leek into 3cm pieces, make a slit in the center, and remove the inner green part.
   🕒 02:05
8. Spread out the white part of the leek and slice it as thinly as possible along the grain.
   🕒 02:34
9. Soak the shredded leek in water for about 5 minutes to remove its pungent flavor.
   🕒 02:49
10. Make the sauce mixture. In a bowl, combine 2.5 tbsp Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine), 2.5 tbsp Cooking Sake (Rice Wine), 2 tbsp Soy Sauce, 0.5 tbsp Sugar, and 1 tbsp Honey. Mix well.
    🕒 02:54
11. Gently pat the surface of the chicken dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
    🕒 03:31
12. Place 1 tbsp Olive Oil in a cold frying pan and arrange the chicken pieces with the skin side down.
    🕒 03:49
13. Heat the pan over medium heat. Press down on the chicken with a spatula while cooking for about 3 minutes.
    🕒 04:08
14. Once the skin is browned, turn off the heat and flip the chicken pieces.
    🕒 04:40
15. Wipe away any excess fat with paper towels.
    🕒 04:55
16. Pour the prepared sauce mixture over the chicken.
    🕒 05:12
17. Heat the pan over low to medium heat. Once the sauce starts to bubble, spoon it over the chicken while simmering for about 5 minutes. [Key Tip!] Simmering patiently allows the chicken to retain moisture, resulting in a tender finish. Spooning the sauce over while cooking ensures the flavor penetrates the skin side thoroughly.
    🕒 05:23