Patricia Niven

 

Miso-Ghee Chicken with Roasted Radishes

Recipe excerpted with permission from Keeping It Simple by Yasmin Fahr, published by Hardie Grant Books February 2020, RRP $24.99 Flexibound.

This miso ghee is a lactose-free compound butter that infuses the chicken as it cooks, keeping it moist and tender – I use a similar trick to keep roast turkey breast moist.

Serves 2, 4 for sharing
Prep 5 minutes
Total 35 minutes

Ingredients:

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 657 g/1 lb 8 oz)

SHOP CHICKEN THIGHS

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 ½ teaspoons miso paste

1 tablespoon ghee, at room temperature

450 g (1 lb) radishes, ends trimmed and halved, smaller ones kept whole

juice of 1 lime

2 spring onions (scallions), light green and white parts only, sliced

black or white sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 230ºC (450ºF/Gas 8) with one rack in the middle of the oven, and one 15 cm (6 in) from the heat source (if your grill (broiler) is inside of your oven).

  2. Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper and half of the oil. In a mixing bowl, mash together the miso paste and ghee until combined. Lift up the skin on the chicken thigh, carefully creating a space between the skin and meat and place a little mound of miso-ghee inside. Close the pocket, and lightly press on top of the skin to spread it around. Repeat for the other pieces. Massage any remaining miso-ghee mixture all over the chicken, leaving behind 1 teaspoon in the bowl. Place the chicken skin-side up on a baking tray (sheet pan) and place in the oven. Set a timer for 15 minutes.

  3. In the same mixing bowl, toss the radishes with the remaining miso-ghee mixture, 1 teaspoon of the oil, salt and pepper. Remove the tray when the timer goes off and scatter the radishes around the chicken, cooking until they are tender and lightly browned, and chicken is cooked through, or until the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 75ºC (165ºF), about 10–15 minutes more. If the chicken skin is not as browned as you’d like, then grill until the skin is crispy and golden, about 1–2 minutes. Squeeze the lime juice over chicken and radishes, then garnish with the spring onions and sesame seeds, if using. Divide between plates and serve.

    Efficiency moves: Make the miso-ghee mixture and prep the chicken. You can do this up to an hour ahead, if you have the time. Cut the radishes while the chicken is in the oven. You’ll have some downtime to clean up.

    Recipe notes: Radishes, available year-round, end up tasting more like potatoes when roasted and lose their spiciness, which makes this a light weeknight meal that still leaves you satisfied.

    Ghee is butter that’s been clarified and then cooked again to caramelize it, which results in an intoxicating nutty aroma when heated (just wait for it). For these reasons, it works well with high-heat cooking, such as roasting and frying.

    Leftovers: Try tossing this miso ghee over soba noodles with spring onions (scallions), herbs and stir-fried greens for a quick dinner.