Spicy miso barbecued chicken with pickled cucumber

Name: Spicy miso barbecued chicken with pickled cucumber
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on; 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; mint leaves, coriander leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

Neil Perry

July 22, 2020

This chicken dish is easy, but don't rush the marinating time to ensure maximum flavour.William Meppem

easyTime:2 hours +Serves:4

This marinade is super-delicious with chicken thighs; it also works well with chicken wings or seafood. Just remember to plan ahead; the dish will need to marinate for three hours. The ratios for the cucumber pickle are good for pickling anything you want – chillies, carrots, onions, daikon, cabbage and so on; all are tasty with this sweet-sour mix on them. Serve with steamed rice and greens such as broccoli or bok choy.

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
mint leaves, coriander leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

Marinade

3 tbsp red miso paste
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3cm-piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli flakes
115g (⅓ cup honey
60ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
80ml (⅓ cup) peanut oil
juice of 1 lemon

Pickled cucumber

1 cucumber washed, dried and sliced thinly lengthways
100g castor sugar
100ml rice wine vinegar

Method

Step 1
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Toss the chicken through the mixture and leave to marinate for 3 hours.
Step 2
For the pickled cucumber, place the cucumber in a bowl, salt liberally, leave for 30 minutes, rinse and dry. Place the sugar and vinegar in a saucepan over medium-high heat and boil until incorporated. Let cool and pour over the cucumber.
Step 3
Preheat a barbecue to high.
Step 4
Remove the chicken from the marinade and place the pieces in a bowl. Pour the marinade into a large saucepan and bring to the boil on the stove top, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced to a nice saucy consistency.
Step 5
Meanwhile, cook the chicken pieces on the hot barbecue for 6 minutes on each side, or until they caramelise and char. Brush the charred pieces with the reduced marinade as they cook. Remove the pieces from the grill and rest for 10 minutes in a warm place.
Step 6
Pile the chicken onto a large serving plate and sprinkle over the mint and coriander leaves and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with cucumber and lemon wedges.