Dry brined Miso, Maple and Butter basted Chicken
This Miso, Maple, and Butter Roast Chicken is a feast. It is tender and golden burnished to perfection. The secret lies in the dry brining and the continuous basting when baking.
Ingredients
Dry Brine ingredients
- 2 kg whole free range chicken 4 lb
- 40 gm flaked sea salt maldon or Olssons | 1/4 cup
- 40 gm brown sugar 1/4 cup
- 2 gm smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon
- 2 gm oregano powder 1/2 teaspoon
Maple Miso and Butter Basting Ingredients
- 50 gm butter 2 tablespoons
- 60 ml maple syrup 1/4 cup
- 20 gm white miso 1 tablespoon
- 2 gm smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon
- 2 gm oregano, ground
Gravy
- 50 gm onion, chopped 3 tablespoons
- 20 gm butter 1 large Tablespoon
- 30 gm flour 2 tablespoons
- 500 gm stock 2 cups
- 20 gm white miso 1 Tablespoon
Instructions
Dry Brining and basting
- You will need a tray with a cake rack that fits inside. Make sure it is deep enough to hold water and catch drips
- Start this part of the recipe 1 day prior to baking
- Wipe the chicken well with kitchen paper draining by holding it upside down over the sink then drying it all over. Sit on the rack. Mix the dry brine ingredients together well and rub all over the chicken, front, back, wings and tail. Pile any excess onto the chicken and spread evenly. Use all of the mixture. Put the chicken into the fridge uncovered.
- After 24 hours in the fridge take the chicken out and wipe off the salt mixture. Don't wash the chicken or add water. Wipe well. Set aside and prepare the oven (200C) and the basting marinade.
- Put the maple, miso and chopped butter with the smoked paprika and oregano into a small pot and stir over low heat to combine and melt. Once melted, set aside for 5 minutes. Use a small paint brush to paint all over the chicken. This will be the first baste of about 5, so set the rest aside. Fill the bottom of the tray with some water. Make sure the tray can be lifted into the oven with the water in it.
- Put the chicken into the oven at 200C and bake for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven again and baste well. Turn the oven down to 180C and bake for a further 10 minutes. Baste the chicken again and bake for a further 10 minutes
- Baste again for a further 60 minutes basting every 20 minutes. (another 3 times) Be aware that after the last baste we will not be able to use the brush on the chicken again, as it has touched the raw chicken. The chicken needs to be roasted well after the last baste. Keep adding some water to the tray especially if it dries up.
- I use a thermometer between the legs to test the temperature and that the juices are clear. ( above 85C) If you don't have a thermometer check the juice colour. If the chicken is still a bit pink, cover with foil (tent so the skin doesn't touch the foil) to protect the bird from getting too dark or burnt and roast for a further 10 minutes, or until done.
Gravy
- You can leave the chicken whole or cut it up. Either way catch all the juices from the chicken both inside and out. I put the chopping board on the tray ( as in the pictures above.) to catch the extra liquid.
- Cut the onion and add it to the pot with the butter. Lightly saute until soft then add flour. Stir until lightly colouring. This will improve the colour of the sauce. Gradually add the stock and all the tray bits. Scrap down the tray. Let the sauce simmer. Add the bones and scraps too. Simmer for a few minutes until thick and bubbling.
- Strain the sauce back into a pot and add the miso. Whisk in and then check the seasoning for salt and pepper.
Notes
If your tray dries up a bit when baking the chicken be sure to add more water and scrape the tray too! If you don't have enough stock in the tray use a packet stock or cube, when making gluten free make sure this is a brand like Massel or similar
You can make the sauce gluten-free. Saute the onions as the recipe says. Add the stock liquid, and simmer. Strain the sauce and use a little cornflour slurry to thicken.
(cornflour slurry is water mixed with cornflour- in this case, about 100 ml (a bit over 1/4 cup) and 2 tablespoons cornflour mixed in until it is dissolved. Add half of this mixture and stir the mixture off the heat mixing vigorously. Bring back to a boil and check the thickness. If you would like it thicker repeat). Once the sauce is how you like it, whisk in the miso.
If possible, leave the chicken at room temperature for 1/2 an hour before cooking so that it cooks well through to the legs