Miso Roasted Chicken

Twice a month, I get a whole chicken from Gunthrop Farms and have my butcher, The Butcher & Larder, break it down for me.  The quality of the chicken is superb and I can make several meals from it, even including using the bones for my bone broth.  If you haven't bought a whole chicken from your local butcher, I highly suggest you do as it is a 
game-changer, think quality over quantity.

I am a sucker for miso. It also has many healing health benefits as miso strengthens the immune system, aids in digestion, high in antioxidants, restores probiotics to the intestines, and reduces risk in cancer (breast, prostate, lung, colon). When chicken marinates in miso, it becomes so tender and flavorful. 

Roasted Miso Chicken with Shallots

Adapted from Food & Wine  

serves 2 

ingredients

3 medium shallots, 2 halved lengthwise and 1 minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white shire miso

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, minced

1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

2 chicken breasts and whole legs on the bone, with skin

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Freshly ground pepper

preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a cast iron dutch oven or braiser, toss the halved shallots with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, mix the miso with the minced shallot, butter, parsley, chives and ginger. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the miso butter to a bowl and stir in the flour to form a paste.

With your fingers, gently separate the chicken skin from the breasts and legs. Carefully work the remaining miso butter under the loosened skin, spreading it evenly. 

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and transfer to the cast iron dutch oven or braised

Roast the chicken in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the skin is browned and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. 

Transfer the chicken and shallots to a platter and cover loosely with foil.

Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and skim off the fat. Set the dutch oven or braised over high heat.

Add the chicken broth and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom and sides of the roasting pan with a wooden spoon. Pour the deglazed drippings into the small saucepan and bring to a boil. 

Whisk in the miso-flour paste and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer the miso gravy to a bowl and serve at once with the chicken and shallots. Enjoy! 





 

How to Make Bone Broth

In case you haven't heard, bone broths(s) is seriously trending right now. I'm happy that it is finally getting the spotlight it deserves, as I have been sipping on broth in my coffee mug/tea cup for years now.  Something, in fact, that I grew up with in a European household. I have my mom to thank for it.  

I'm sorry I haven't shared my recipes yet, but that's all going to change now. 

If you aren't already making bone broth or your own broth regularly, I'd encourage you to start today.  Many people moan about cooking their own homemade stock/broth, it's not that hard and fool-proof.  Ditch the boxed crap, its super high in sodium and other unnatural flavorings and preservatives. Trust me, once you can make a homemade brother, you will never go back to fake stuff. I promise! 

Every single Chef or restaurant incorporates a bone broth in their cooking. Besides giving rich flavor to your dishes (soups, stews, risotto), it has a tremendous impact on health. It is filled nutrients, it helps boosts your immune system and aid digestion.   I am so obsessed with bone broth I sip on it almost daily in the Winter months to keep colds and flu away.  It also gives me glowing skin and loads of energy. 

You can always make bone broth and keep it in the freezer, when a cold comes on, you'll be glad you did. 

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it's a perfect opportunity for you to take the turkey bones and carcass to make a bone broth. 

There are some of my secrets to making good bone broth:

Use the highest quality of bones you can find, I recommend grass-fed. I only use meat from The Butcher and Larder.

Add vinegar, like Bragg's apple cider vinegar, to the water to draw the minerals out of the bones into the broth.

Roast and brown the bones in the oven before adding them to the stock. This is a tip I received a couple years ago from Chef David Dworshak from Takito Kitchen when I was in a gumbo-off. 

ingredients 

2 pounds of bones (I used the remains from a roasted chicken ie. the bones and carcass) 
2 yellow onions, unpeeled 
2 organic carrots 
2 stalks of celery
2 cloves of garlic 
1 bunch fresh parsley 
a handful of fresh thyme
sea salt and pepper  
1 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar (I use Bragg's apple cider vinegar) 

preparation 

In a stock pot add all ingredients. Make sure to wash the carrots, celery and herbs. I like to keep skin on onions as it adds a beautiful golden color.  Pour in water, I use filtered water, enough to cover the ingredients. Over medium heat, bring to boil. When it's boiling, a film of foam will begin to form, start skimming the foam out. Once the film is removed, cover the pot, lower to a simmer. Let simmer 3 hours-18 hours. The longer it simmers, the more flavor your broth will have. I like to store my broth in glass jars or freeze in ice cube trays. 

Whole-Grain Mustard Baked Chicken {Clean Eats}

If you follow me on social media, you know that I have been traveling, and therefore eating out almost every night.  While I do enjoy this part of my life very much, all I wanted to do was make a healthy and wholesome dinner once I got back home.  I turned to a chicken recipe from one of my favorite sources of clean eating, Clean Eats by Alejandro Junger M.D. founder of the Clean Program. 

It is important to know that the food you are putting in your body comes for good reliable sources that don't cut corners and process your foods.  This is especially true when discussing poultry and meat. Therefore, if I am cooking with proteins I always try to go to my local butcher, because I know they are sourcing amazing products that not only taste great, but are ultimately healthier for my body as they do not contain any preservatives, hormones, or antibiotics.

If you can think a few days out and plan to cook more than once, buy the whole chicken and have the butcher break it down for you.  I had the guys at Butcher and Larder break down one fresh chicken from Gunthorp Farms into wings, breasts , thighs and drumsticks.  From that, I was able to make this dish and two other dishes that I had 2 nights later, which included grilled buffalo chicken wings and chicken paillard from the breast.  It is always great to be able to cook with all parts of the animal and not waste anything. You can even use the bones from the chicken to improve the flavor of a soup stock!

Recipe adapted from Clean Eats 

ingredients 

2 pasture raised chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
2 Tablespoons whole-seed mustard 
(like American Spoon  available at Publican Quality Meats or LocalFolksFoods at many locations like Whole Foods, Plum Market, Sunset Foods, etc) 
3-4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar like Braggs. 
2 teaspoons sea salt

preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients together and allow the chicken to marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature. Transfer the marinated chicken into a baking dish and make sure to pour the leftover marinade over the top chicken by using a wooden spoon. 

Bake the chicken for 20-30 minutes, or until it is nicely browned. I set the oven to broil for 2 or so minutes to create that nice brown crust on top of the meat. Serve and enjoy! 

I spread mashed celery root with horseradish and scallions the bottom and placed two pieces of chicken on top.