I’ve been getting into miso lately. The salty, earthy, savory flavour just seems to add magic to everything it touches.
Miso grilled chicken with Korean kick
I saw recipe for Japanese broiled miso chicken. Looked really good. Subtle and understated in that Japanese way. But so tasty. Then I started thinking. What if I made that but slammed it up against Korean zing? And tossed it on the grill? It worked. In the end, spicy miso grilled chicken is more Korean than Japanese. Subtle Japanese inspiration crushed by a big dollop of gochujang. Gochujang is like miso jacked up with Korean flavours. It’s chili and fermented soybean. Straight up it’s pretty assertive. Mix miso and gochujang and you mellow out the bite. That’s why this works. The miso smooths things out nicely. What you wind up with is grilled chicken that tastes Korean but tempered somehow by the miso. It’s an umami bomb. No doubt about that. But there’s more Japanese influence here. Mirin and sugar lend a sweet note. Sake adds a little something too. And in the end it comes together in a way that’s hard to put a finger on. Just tasty Asian inspired grilled chicken.
Grilling technique matters
Grilling technique is really important in this recipe. There’s sugar in the marinade. There’s skin on the chicken. Direct heat invites burning. Burning badly. Indirect, medium hot heat is what you are after. Set your grill up so there’s no fire directly under the chicken. It’s a good idea to put a drip pan under the grill grate too. The fat dripping from the chicken will make a big mess otherwise. Once the chicken is almost done it over the direct heat to char up a bit. Do this a few pieces at a time. You are going to get flare-ups. Stay cool. Stay calm. Use long tongs. It will be OK. Don’t fear the grill. It’s a tool. Own it. It’s there to serve you. Once you have the char you want move the pieces back to the safe zone. Keep doing that until all the chicken is just the way you want it. Spicy miso grilled chicken. It could become one of your favourites. It’s one of mine…
