Clay-Pot Miso Chicken
A hearty Japanese-inspired dish featuring tender chicken thighs braised with mushrooms, burdock root, and mustard greens in a rich miso-based sauce. This comforting one-pot meal combines earthy mushrooms, aromatic ginger and garlic, and leafy greens for a complete dinner.
Ingredients
- •16 pieces chicken thighs with skin and bone (5 pounds)
- •½ cup dried wood ear mushrooms
- •10 cups water, divided
- •4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- •2 stalks burdock root
- •1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- •3 tablespoons canola oil
- •2 large onions, coarsely chopped
- •1 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms
- •3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger
- •3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- •1 cup mirin
- •1 cup white miso
- •½ cup soy sauce
- •1 lb mustard greens
- •to taste steamed Asian white rice
- •to taste chopped scallions
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
5 min
- 2.
Pat chicken dry, then roast, skin side up, in 1 layer in a 17- by 12-inch shallow baking pan until skin is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
40 min
- 3.
While chicken roasts, soak wood ear mushrooms in 4 cups water until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then rinse well and discard any hard pieces. Drain well, squeezing out excess water.
15 min
- 4.
Transfer roasted chicken to a bowl and pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure. Let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and discard fat. Add enough stock to bring total to 4 cups liquid.
5 min
- 5.
Reduce oven to 300°F and move rack to lower third.
2 min
- 6.
Peel burdock root, and, if more than 1-inch-thick, halve lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Transfer burdock root to a bowl, then add vinegar and 2 cups water.
10 min
- 7.
Heat oil in a 7- to 8-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onions until softened and beginning to brown. Add shiitakes, ginger, and garlic and sauté until garlic is golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
10 min
- 8.
Add mirin and boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Stir in miso and soy sauce, then stir in chicken, wood ear mushrooms, burdock (drained), stock mixture, and remaining 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any froth.
10 min
- 9.
Cover pot and braise in oven until chicken is tender, about 1 hour.
60 min
- 10.
Stir in mustard greens and continue to braise, covered, 5 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls.
5 min
