Editor’s Pick #13: Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

Editor’s note: Sometimes the best ideas come from random conversations! This recipe is a classic example of that. Usual caveats apply – full recipe including side dishes follows, and this will more than likely work perfectly with a meat substitute like the Quorn fake fillets that I’ve applied other MiamMiam recipes to with great success.

Class Report : Miso and Maple

The idea for the main dish came about from an impromptu conversation during the previous class. Don't ask me why the subject of miso came up, such is the nature of the classes that completely random questions pop out of nowhere! Anyway on that occasion I uttered those immortal words, “hold that thought” and disappeared into my pantry returning clutching a packet of sweet white miso.

This is what it looks like:

It's available from most supermarkets – mine came from Daily Bread Co-operative Ltd www.dailybread.co.uk.

I first mentioned Miso Maple Glazed Chicken in The Method in my Madness – The Creaking Table as part of a supper for Christmas Eve.

For ease, here it is :

Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 tbsp baking powder*

4 fl oz/½ cup maple syrup*

2 fl oz/¼ cup white miso paste*

Mix * together, add the chicken breasts and

marinate for 24 hrs

Sprinkle with chopped spring onions

Bake in a pre-heated oven 180 fan/200c/Gas 6

for 35 minutes

Again, takes no time at all and, if you marinate the chicken in one of my famous, washing-up free foil dishes, it can go straight from the fridge, into the oven.

This recipe is as easy as falling off a log.

Continuing with the “flying by the seat of my/your pants” theme, serve with :

Maple Glazed Veggies

100ml dark soy sauce

50ml Maple syrup

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tbsp light olive oil

black pepper

You can choose any veggies you like, here's my choice :

Mange tout – cut in half diagonally

Baby sweetcorn – cut in half lengthways

Carrots – peeled, topped and tailed and cut into batons -

5 cms long x 1cm, as a guide – you'll get approximately

28 batons from 1 large carrot

Red Romano pepper – topped, tailed, de-seeded and

cut into a similar size to the batons

Salad onions – topped and tailed and cut diagonally.

A word of caution – it's important that your veggies are of a similar size so that they cook evenly. Some veggies take longer than others, so, when making your choice bear that in mind.

Heat the oil until hot in a frying pan (or wok) add the salad onions and garlic paste and cook for 1 minute, tossing as you go. Add the baby corn, carrots and red pepper for 2 minutes and then finally add the mange tout for another minute.

Add the soy/maple syrup mixture and toss through the vegetables for another 2 minutes, season with black pepper.

Serve immediately in bowls and top with sliced Miso Maple Glazed chicken.

The food you eat should look appetising, hence the expression “you eat with your eyes”, more than that it has to taste good. I chose the veggies because they ticked all the boxes – eye catching colours, great flavour and great taste. An additional bonus - a carb free speedy lunch or supper.

Here are a couple of photos of the finished dish.

P.S. I know that many of you will know about miso, but, for those that may not, it is Japanese. I'm not going to blind you with science – suffice it to say it's a seasoning in a paste, made from fermenting soybeans with salt and koji, or rice or barley. There are many types but the two most common are white and red. The white is sweet and lighter in taste. The red is aged, darker and a stronger flavour. Probably the most well known miso dish is the soup – it has many other uses, in casseroles and sauces. Its benefits are that it is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals but above all, it tastes great!

Strawberry Miso Ripple – the photos

the sweet white miso in the mixing bowl

the ice cream whipped, ready to ripple

adding the compote

rippled!

Et voila :

one scoop or two?

the ripple topped with the whole fruit compote

Most importantly … the verdict.

Silence is always a good sign, followed by the scraping of the dish, finally two words “beautiful” and “gorgeous” - not words you'd normally associate with strawberries and ice cream but hey I'll take them!

Strawberry Miso Ripple

Back to the strawberry compote. Instead of keeping the whole fruit or blitzing and passing for a smooth version why not have half and half?

When your compote has cooled :

Gently poor the compote into a large mixing bowl

and weigh the total amount

In my case this was 512g precisely!

Take 256g of the whole fruits and place in

a jar and fridge

Blitz and pass the remaining half and set

aside ready for use

Add the smooth compote to your batch of ice cream and fold gently through creating a ripple effect, then freeze in containers to suit.

Say hello to Strawberry Miso Ripple!

Photos up next.

Strawberries & ice cream …

… but not as you know this iconic summer treat!

Another no-churn ice cream – this time using sweet white miso paste – if you're not familiar with this product it's a Japanese seasoning – fermented soybeans with salt and koji, the resulting paste is used in savoury and sweet dishes. There are different types of miso the sweeter white version includes rice, barley and a smaller quantity of soybeans.

Here's the recipe :

Sweet white miso ice cream

Makes 1 litre of ice cream

100g sweet white miso paste

397 tin condensed milk

300ml double cream

Combine the miso paste and condensed milk in a bowl, mix well so that it loosens. If it doesn't disperse then use your hand whisk until smooth. Add the cream and whisk until it begins to thicken.

At this stage you may want to read the following piece which gives you a variation using the compote.

Decant into suitable containers – I'd suggest you decide on portion control that suits you, so a mixture of small and medium pots. Remember you can always take out more if you need it! Freeze overnight.

Allow the ice cream to soften for 10 minutes before serving.

I can hear you - “what's so different about sweet white miso ice cream?!” Answer – if you're a fan of the salted caramel flavour you'll like that sweet and salty “hit” the miso gives.

Making the most …

of that Miso Marinade :

Miso Roasted Chicken

Serves 3

3 chicken fillets – approximately 150g/5oz each

Miso Marinade – here's a quick reminder

3 tbsps miso paste

2 tsps soy sauce

2 tbsps mirin

1 tbsp dark soft brown sugar

Mix the ingredients thoroughly into a paste. Box and set aside. Add the marinade to the chicken an hour before roasting to give it time to infuse, use one large strong plastic food bag.

Foil tray, 23x23cms or 9”x9”

Make up the marinade - set aside and fridge it until an hour before you want to cook.

An hour before cooking place the fillets into the marinade, seal the bag and ensure that they are coated – fridge until ready to cook.

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Tip the fillets and the marinade into the foil tray, cover with foil. Set your timer for 15 minutes. Place the tray on a baking sheet and into the oven. At the end of the time take out the tray, remove the foil, turn the fillets over and place back into the oven for 10 minutes.

Serve with whatever takes your fancy - go on a fridge forage or serve on top of stir fried noodles and veggies or rice if you prefer - I foraged and discovered sweet peppers and baby new potatoes and roasted them both.

Here's my dish :

Oh – I didn't use all the chicken fillet so it's in the freezer – another meal for another day.

P.s. Check out chicken fillet deals – I got 950g (2lbs approximately) – 6 fillets for £10 – great value.

Class Report : Miso and Maple

The idea for the main dish came about from an impromptu conversation during the previous class. Don't ask me why the subject of miso came up, such is the nature of the classes that completely random questions pop out of nowhere! Anyway on that occasion I uttered those immortal words, “hold that thought” and disappeared into my pantry returning clutching a packet of sweet white miso.

This is what it looks like :

It's available from most supermarkets – mine came from Daily Bread Co-operative Ltd www.dailybread.co.uk.

I first mentioned Miso Maple Glazed Chicken in The Method in my Madness – The Creaking Table as part of a supper for Christmas Eve.

For ease, here it is :

Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 tbsp baking powder*

4 fl oz/½ cup maple syrup*

2 fl oz/¼ cup white miso paste*

Mix * together, add the chicken breasts and

marinate for 24 hrs

Sprinkle with chopped spring onions

Bake in a pre-heated oven 180 fan/200c/Gas 6

for 35 minutes

Again, takes no time at all and, if you marinate the chicken in one of my famous, washing-up free foil dishes, it can go straight from the fridge, into the oven.

This recipe is as easy as falling off a log.

Continuing with the “flying by the seat of my/your pants” theme, serve with :

Maple Glazed Veggies

100ml dark soy sauce

50ml Maple syrup

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tbsp light olive oil

black pepper

You can choose any veggies you like, here's my choice :

Mange tout – cut in half diagonally

Baby sweetcorn – cut in half lengthways

Carrots – peeled, topped and tailed and cut into batons -

5 cms long x 1cm, as a guide – you'll get approximately

28 batons from 1 large carrot

Red Romano pepper – topped, tailed, de-seeded and

cut into a similar size to the batons

Salad onions – topped and tailed and cut diagonally.

A word of caution – it's important that your veggies are of a similar size so that they cook evenly. Some veggies take longer than others, so, when making your choice bear that in mind.

Heat the oil until hot in a frying pan (or wok) add the salad onions and garlic paste and cook for 1 minute, tossing as you go. Add the baby corn, carrots and red pepper for 2 minutes and then finally add the mange tout for another minute.

Add the soy/maple syrup mixture and toss through the vegetables for another 2 minutes, season with black pepper.

Serve immediately in bowls and top with sliced Miso Maple Glazed chicken.

The food you eat should look appetising, hence the expression “you eat with your eyes”, more than that it has to taste good. I chose the veggies because they ticked all the boxes – eye catching colours, great flavour and great taste. An additional bonus - a carb free speedy lunch or supper.

Here are a couple of photos of the finished dish.

P.S. I know that many of you will know about miso, but, for those that may not, it is Japanese. I'm not going to blind you with science – suffice it to say it's a seasoning in a paste, made from fermenting soybeans with salt and koji, or rice or barley. There are many types but the two most common are white and red. The white is sweet and lighter in taste. The red is aged, darker and a stronger flavour. Probably the most well known miso dish is the soup – it has many other uses, in casseroles and sauces. Its benefits are that it is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals but above all, it tastes great!

Pps.  Another bonus - the miso is organic and gluten-free too!