Miso and beer marinated chicken
East meets west as the intense savoury flavour of Japanese miso paste combines with the fruity bitterness of British beer in this chicken recipe. We cooked it on the barbecue but it’s just as good baked in the oven.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on
For the marinade
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú miso paste
- 100ml/3½fl oz beer
- 75g/2¾oz granulated sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp flaked dulse
- 1 tsp sriracha chilli sauce (optional)
- salt and pepper
To serve
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- dried chilli flakes
- bunch spring onions, finely shredded
Method
Cut three or four slashes into each chicken piece, through the skin and into the flesh.
Whisk all the marinade ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved and there are no lumps of miso. Season with salt and pepper and add a splash of water if it is very thick. Spoon off around 50ml/2fl oz of the marinade to use for basting later. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
An hour before you want to cook the chicken, remove it from the fridge to return to room temperature.
Add the sesame oil to the reserved marinade.
Light the barbecue. When the flames have died down and the coals are glowing, place the chicken on the cooler parts of the grill and baste with the reserved marinade. Cook for 20–25 minutes, turning and basting regularly, then finish off on the hottest part of the grill. The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer in the thickest part. This recipe can also be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper and add the chicken pieces. Roast for around 40 minutes, turning and basting two or three times.
To serve, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, chilli flakes and spring onions.
Recipe Tips
We used brown rice miso but you can use any kind of miso paste.
Instead of chicken pieces you can also cook a whole spatchcocked chicken. Cook as directed in step 5, but for 5–10 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through and all the juices run clear.