South meets the Far East with miso, shiitake chicken

This one-pot chicken dinner by Kentucky chef Edward Lee blends a staple of Southern cooking - fried chicken - with two deliciously savory Asian ingredients, miso and a half pound of shiitake mushrooms. Together they produce a chicken that is tender and wildly flavorful. Miso-Smothered Chicken1/ 2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground red

pepper (cayenne) 1 teaspoon garlic powder 4 chicken thighs (bone-in or

boneless) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 cups chopped yellow

onions 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/ 3 cup bourbon 2 cups chicken stock 1/ 2 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon dark miso 8 ounces shiitake

mushrooms, stems

discarded, thinly sliced Cooked rice, to serve In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cayenne and garlic powder. Add the chicken and toss well to coat evenly.

In a medium Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium low and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the bourbon and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the chicken stock, orange juice, soy sauce and miso and bring to a simmer.

Return the chicken to the pot, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes for bone-in thighs.

Add the mushrooms and simmer, uncovered, until the mushrooms are tender and the sauce is thickened to the consistency of a gravy, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Serve with rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Smoke and Pickles by Edward Lee