Shalom Japan (310 S. 4th St.) has been serving Williamsburg a fusion of Jewish and Japanese cuisine for the past decade. The restaurant is owned by husband and wife team Okochi Sawako, known as Sawa, and Aaron Israel, who are also the chefs.
The talented pair have a cookbook coming out next week called Love Japan: Recipes from our Japanese American Kitchen. Ahead of the May 16 release, Sawa and Aaron have shared one of their recipes with the North Brooklyn community.
Learn how to make Sawa and Aaron’s miso-honey broiled chicken below and see last week’s Community Cookbook recipe here.
Miso-Honey Broiled Chicken (チキンのはちみつ味噌焼き)
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 pounds of boneless, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts, or a mix of both
6 tablespoons of aka (red) or awase (blended) miso
3 tablespoons of honey
4 scallions, halved
1 tablespoon of cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄8-inch-thick slices
4 lemon wedges
Directions
- Put the chicken pieces in a container or a resealable plastic bag and evenly spread the miso and honey over all of it. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. (Don’t go longer than 24 hours or the chicken will start to dry out.)
- Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and set the broiler on high.
- Line a sheet pan with foil.
- Place the scallions in an even layer to create a bed to rest the chicken on.
- Lay the chicken on the scallions, skin-side up, placing them close together without touching.
- Scoop up the excess marinade and put it between the chicken and the scallions to help make a sauce as it cooks.
- Distribute the pieces of butter evenly over the chicken thighs.
- Broil the chicken until the skin starts to get crispy and the honey and miso caramelize to a golden brown, about 6 minutes. Some parts might get a little black, which is expected with the honey. (Just be careful not to char it too much.)
- Turn off the broiler and set the oven to 400ºF. Continue cooking until the chicken is just cooked through, another 7 to 9 minutes. (It’s okay if your oven takes time to get to 400ºF; the point is to lower the temperature so that the chicken cooks through.) To test if the chicken is done, insert a cake tester or the tip of a small knife into the thickest part of the thigh, then feel how warm it is. If it borders on hot, the chicken is cooked. If not, continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, and check again for doneness.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. (The chicken will continue to cook from residual heat.)
- Transfer the chicken and scallions to a serving platter and spoon over any sauce that is left on the sheet pan.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.