Chicken Negimaki

Since the grill is buried under a foot of snow in the back yard, this will have to wait until spring....

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin (or 1/4 cup honey mixed with 1/4 cup water)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 bunch scallions, trimmed but left whole
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless white-meat chicken (breasts, cutlets or tenders), pounded to 1/8-inch        thickness and blotted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sesame oil as needed
Lemon or lime wedges.

1. Put soy sauce, mirin, garlic and scallions in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool slightly.
2. Prepare charcoal or gas grill; heat should be medium and rack about 4 inches from fire. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Remove scallions from soy mixture with slotted spoon and divide evenly among chicken cutlets: Turn wide side of each cutlet to face you and put 2 or 3 scallions on edge closest to you, with some scallion sticking out of each end. Roll each cutlet up like a jelly roll and secure in two or three places with toothpicks or butcher’s twine. Brush chicken rolls with sesame oil.
3. Grill chicken, brushing occasionally with remaining soy mixture and turning each piece once or twice, until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. To check for doneness, cut into a piece with a thin-bladed knife; center should be white or slightly pink. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with lemon or lime wedges.

Credit: Mark Bittman, The New York Times