New Recipe for Ponzu: Just Open the Jar

By MAYI BRADY

July 17, 2002 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Ponzu, a Japanese sauce usually consisting of soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar and a little sugar, can be a bit tricky to make. Too much of one ingredient can throw off the taste. That’s why I was thrilled to find bottled ponzu in the supermarket--there’s no trick to opening a bottle.

Take five minutes to add a few ingredients to the ponzu and you’ve got a great glaze for chicken. Serve this with stir-fried bok choy and steamed jasmine rice, and you’ve got a meal. The glaze also would work well on grilled shrimp or fish.

Plate and napkin from Windows, Pasadena.

Bottled ponzu is found in the Asian aisle of well-stocked supermarkets and at Japanese markets. While an outdoor grill or stove-top grill pan is best, the chicken can be cooked in a skillet.

Ponzu-Glazed Chicken

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes

4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3/4 pound)

Salt, pepper

5 tablespoons bottled ponzu

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon minced ginger root

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 serrano chile, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons sugar

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Rinse and dry the chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine the ponzu, lime juice, ginger, garlic, chile and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.

Place the chicken, skin side down, on the grill. Brush the top of the chicken with the ponzu mixture. Turn the chicken over every 2 minutes or so, brushing with the sauce every time until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

2 servings. Each serving: 371 calories; 267 mg sodium; 132 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 36 grams protein; 0.12 gram fiber.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 10 minutes

1 tablespoon oil

4 heads baby bok choy, sliced

Salt, pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat and add the bok choy. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bok choy is tender but crisp and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2 servings. Each serving: 105 calories; 369 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 3.40 grams fiber.

Ponzu-Glazed Chicken

Stir-Fried Bok Choy

Jasmine Rice

STAPLES

Garlic

Jasmine rice

Oil

Sugar

SHOPPING LIST

Baby bok choy

Chicken thighs

Ginger root