Over the course of the tasting menu at NYC’s Kono, chef Atsushi “ATS” Kono makes skewers that feature a rotating variety of charcoal-grilled chicken skewers, each made from different parts of the whole chicken from wing to oyster to — yes, even the testicles. “People have no idea [that one] chicken makes over 28 kinds of skewers,” Kono says.
Kono uses large Amish chickens that he sources from Pennsylvania. “I love female chicken because it’s most fatty and tender,” says Kono. “Male chicken is a little tough — farmers don’t want to sell male chickens.” But Kono buys male chickens anyway in order to highlight what he calls one of the best parts of the bird, the testicle.
“This is so clean and creamy,” says Kono. “When you bite it inside the mouth, it melts. And its texture: [It goes] inside the mouth, pop!”
To make the grilled chicken testicle skewer, each part is simply cut out of the whole chicken and lightly seasoned before being put on the charcoal grill. Once it’s cooked it’s dipped in the tare sauce.
Watch the full video to see how chef Kono prepares the many other skewers that is served at his restaurant.