Miso Chicken and Rice
This modern take on a chicken-and-rice casserole has been an open tab on my computer for way too long. So, when Reed rolled in last Friday night, after finishing his third year of college, Smitten Kitchen’s Miso Chicken and Rice was his welcome home meal.
In addition to the flavors of miso and soy, and the fact that this Miso Claypot Chicken (No Claypot) hails from Lucky Peach Magazine, what attracted my attention is that the meal can be cooked in a rice cooker (don’t worry, if you don’t own a rice cooker, there are also oven baking directions). But have I ever waxed poetically about my rice cooker? Now may be the time. I bought my rice cooker sometime in the 90’s at one of those huge Asian restaurant depots in Chinatown (please tell me that at least one of the many has survived gentrification). It is white plastic with a non-stick bowl insert that has water measurement lines inside. It has a plastic measuring cup (which measures slightly less than 1 cup), a plastic paddle, and a steamer tray. My rice cooker has a retractable plug that, when plugged into an outlet, turns the cooker “on” and has one button, more accurately a lever, that signifies “cooking” or “keep warm.” That’s it. No settings, no timer, no options, yet remarkably, whether I put in white jasmine rice, basmati brown, sushi rice, Goya Yellow Rice, or Uncle Ben’s, and add liquid to the indicated line, my rice comes out perfectly every single time. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is. And please don’t let this ode to my rice cooker serve as a jinx. I use it several times a week, and it is my most beloved small appliance. So obviously, given the option, I was going to make this recipe in my rice cooker.
The resulting dish was super flavorful and very easy to prepare. A perfect warmer weather meal when you don’t want to turn on your stove and spend time in the kitchen. I would say that the recipe serves 3 people, maybe one more or one less, depending on appetites, and if you serve a cucumber salad on the side as I did. I have not tried the oven-cooked method, but I imagine that it would be equally successful. If you do, please let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
Miso Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Tbls low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbls oyster sauce
- 1 Tbls Shaoxing wine I substituted sherry
- 1 Tbls miso
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- White pepper or freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch strips
- 3-4 oz fresh shiitake mushroom caps thinly sliced
- 1 c jasmine rice
- 1 c chicken broth plus 2 tablespoons extra for the oven option
- 1 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced whites and greens separated
Instructions
Both Cooking Methods
- In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, miso, sugar, sesame oil, and several grinds of pepper. Add the chicken and mushrooms and stir so that they’re evenly coated.
In a Rice Cooker
- In the bowl of a 3-cup or larger rice cooker, combine the rice, 1 cup broth, and ginger. Scrape the chicken mixture and any remaining marinade from the bowl on top. Scatter with scallion whites. Close the cover, start a Quick or Regular cycle, and cook until the cycle is done. Open the lid and check the chicken for doneness; you might need to move the pieces around and give it 5 more minutes to finish. Scatter with scallion greens and eat right away.
In the oven
- Heat oven to 350°F. In a 1.5- to 2-quart baking dish, combine the rice, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons broth, and ginger. Scrape the chicken mixture and any remaining marinade from the bowl on top. Scatter with scallion whites. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, checking on the early end, until rice is tender and chicken is cooked. Double-check the chicken for doneness; you might need to shuffle the pieces around and give it 5 to 10 more minutes to finish. Scatter with scallion greens and eat right away.