Steps

1. Rinse the Chicken Thighs under water.
   🕒 01:17
2. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with Salt (to taste) and Black Pepper (to taste).
   🕒 01:26
3. Heat Sesame Oil (Taihaku brand) 1 tbsp + 1 tsp in a pot and add the Chicken Thighs 2 pieces with the skin side down. Sear over medium heat until the skin is crispy. [This is the key!] Cooking in a deep pot prevents oil splattering and ensures even cooking.
   🕒 02:01
4. Flip the chicken thighs and cook for 1 minute, then remove from the pot.
   🕒 04:03
5. Add a little more Sesame Oil to the pot after removing the chicken.
   🕒 04:18
6. Add Ginger (minced) 1 tbsp, Garlic (minced) 1 tbsp, and Green Onions (minced) 2 tbsp to the pot and sauté until fragrant.
   🕒 04:25
7. Add Black Pepper (to taste) and the Dried Red Chili 1 piece (or Dried Red Chili 1/2 piece), and stir-fry further to release their aroma.
   🕒 04:57
8. Add [A] Cooking Sake (Rice Wine) 3 tbsp, [A] Water 250ml, [A] Soy Sauce 2 tbsp, and [A] Sugar 1 tbsp to the pot and bring to a boil.
   🕒 05:16
9. Return the seared chicken thighs and any juices from the chicken to the boiling liquid in the pot.
   🕒 06:13
10. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
    🕒 06:30
11. Flip the chicken thighs, cover again, and simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes. [This is the key!] Using a pot where the lid curves inward allows steam to circulate, resulting in a fluffy texture.
    🕒 07:12
12. Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a plate.
    🕒 08:03
13. Reduce the remaining sauce in the pot by about half.
    🕒 08:13
14. Add [B] Sesame Oil 1 tbsp and [B] Cooking Sake (Rice Wine) 1 tbsp to the reduced sauce and mix.
    🕒 09:20
15. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and arrange them on a plate.
    🕒 10:11
16. Pour the reduced sauce over the chicken thighs. Garnish with Mitsuba or other green herbs if desired, and it's ready. You can also serve this with rice or bread.
    🕒 09:52