Miso Chicken + Beaujolais
The Meal | 2.5 - 3 Hours
Fusion of eastern flavors. One pot. Many joys.
Prep:
Day Before:
Trim and salt a 5 lb whole chicken
Brine in buttermilk for 12 - 24 hours in a gallon ziplock bag
Day Of:
Remove chicken from brine and wipe off buttermilk with paper towel
Leave chicken out while you prep the other ingredients (no longer than 30 minutes)
Mix 1/3 cup of miso and 4 tbsp of softened butter
Cover the chicken in the miso mixture (including under the skin) and salt and pepper the chicken cavity heavily. Tie the legs with twine
Measure, rinse, and drain 1.5 cups of basmati rice
Muddle a pinch of saffron and steep in 1/4 cup hot water for 15 minutes
Finely chop 1 yellow onion
Rinse and slice 3 leeks
Roughly chop a handful of dried apricots or dates
Roughly chop a handful of cashews
Chop 2 cloves of garlic
Measure out 1.5 tsp of tumeric and 1.5 tsp of za’atar seasoning
Preheat oven to 375
Cook:
Heat a spoonful of ghee in a large dutch oven over medium heat
Add onions and leeks. Cook until the onions are translucent and have started to brown
Add in garlic, za’atar spice, and tumeric. Cook another 1 minute until fragrant
Add the chicken into the dutch oven, breast down. Allow to brown slightly for 2-3 minutes, then flip so the breast faces upwards
Pour 2.5 -3 cups of chicken stock around the chicken
Bring to a boil and place in the oven, uncovered, for an hour
After cooking for an hour, add rice, dried fruit, a pinch of salt, and saffron water around the chicken and stir carefully
If the miso glaze is close to being over-browned, use a spoon to respread it across the skin
Temp the chicken and cook for another 30 minutes (adjust + / - based on chicken temp
Pull the chicken, squeeze half a lemon into the rice and salt and pepper to taste
Carve in the pot then remove the carcass. Mix in the chopped cashews.
Options:
Leave out za’atar or saffron
Garnish with parsley or cilantro
Sides:
Roasted asparagus
Fresh salad
