Clay Pot Miso Chicken

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 16 chicken thighs, with skin and bone (5 pounds)
• 1/2 cup dried wood ear mushrooms
• 10 cups water, divided
• 4 cups chicken stock (32 fl.oz. ) or 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (32 fl.oz. )
• 2 stalks burdock root (sometimes called gobo) (optional) or 2 stalks salsify (optional)
• 1 teaspoon distilled vinegar or 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 lb fresh shiitake mushroom, stems discarded, large caps quartered
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled gingerroot
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 cup mirin (japanese sweet rice wine)
• 1 cup miso (also called shiro miso)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 lb mustard greens, tough stems and ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped (16 cups)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 500°f with rack in middle.
• 2 pat chicken dry, then roast, skin side up, in 1 layer in a 17- by 12-inch shallow baking pan until skin is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
• 3 while chicken roasts, soak wood ear mushrooms in 4 cups water until softened, about 15 minutes. drain in a sieve, then rinse well and discard any hard pieces. drain well, squeezing out excess water.
• 4 transfer roasted chicken to a bowl and pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure. let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and discard fat. add enough stock to bring total to 4 cups liquid.
• 5 reduce oven to 300°f and move rack to lower third.
• 6 peel burdock root, and, if more than 1-inch-thick, halve lengthwise. cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. transfer burdock root to a bowl, then add vinegar and 2 cups water.
• 7 heat oil in a 7- to 8-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onions until softened and beginning to brown. add shiitakes, ginger, and garlic and sauté until garlic is golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
• 8 add mirin and boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. stir in miso and soy sauce, then stir in chicken, wood ear mushrooms, burdock (drained), stock mixture, and remaining 4 cups water. bring to a boil, skimming off any froth.
• 9 cover pot and braise in oven until chicken is tender, about 1 hour.
• 10 stir in mustard greens and continue to braise, covered, 5 minutes. serve in shallow bowls.