Sticky miso chicken roasted on sesame pumpkin

The perfect balance of salty and sweet, miso chicken is the absolute star in this recipe. Get creative with a simple switch of veg and herbs for a tasty new spin.

Credit: Donna Hay Everyday Fresh

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg (3 lb 3 oz) butternut pumpkin (butternut squash), skin scrubbed and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
• sea salt flakes
• green onion (scallion), thinly sliced and coriander (cilantro) leaves, to serve

 

Sticky miso chicken

• ⅓ cup (95 g/3¼ oz) white miso paste (shiro)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) mirin (Japanese rice wine)
• 2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar 
• 6 125 g (4½ oz) chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and halved

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
2. Place pumpkin, oil, sesame seeds and salt in a bowl and toss to coat. Place on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Roast the pumpkin for 20 minutes.
3. To make the sticky miso chicken, place the miso, oil, soy, mirin, sugar and vinegar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside until ready to use.
4. When the pumpkin has cooked for the 20 minutes, top the pumpkin with the miso chicken and pour over any remaining miso marinade. Roast for a further 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
5. To serve, divide between plates, sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and top with green onion and coriander. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.