Shoyu Chicken

I cooked shoyu (soy sauce) chicken last night for dinner, and it was delicious. Shoyu chicken is a Hawai'ian/Japanese dish, and I first learned how to make it from my college roommate Jay, who hails from Hawai'i. Here's his recipe (with my added variations):

6 chicken thighs
1 cup soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup aji mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
Chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

In a medium sized saucepan, sear the chicken thighs (without oil) with skin side down for five minutes on each side. Add the minced garlic and ginger and sautee for two minutes. Deglaze with the aji mirin, and reduce the liquid to half. Add the water, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add more sugar to taste.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions, and serve with hot steamed white or brown (for whole grain) rice and sweet corn. Enjoy!