Miso Butter Chicken with Pomelo and Lentils
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Easy but takes some time
This Miso Butter Chicken with Pomelo and Lentils is another excellent recipe inspired by a recipe from Ali Slagle. I modified Ali's recipe slightly, substituting pomelo for grapefruit and adding lentils. Pomelo is one of my favorite citrus fruits to use in salads. I make a few additional changes to the recipe when I make the sauce. I double the sauce ingredients and use grapefruit juice to deglaze the pan I roast the chicken in.
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The result is an absolutely addictive one-dish meal that is easy enough for a weeknight and elegant enough for entertaining. You can go ahead and use grapefruit as the recipe was originally written, but I highly recommend you try it with pomelo. Pomelos are in season from November into April or May.Miso Butter
Miso butter is having its day and showing up in all kinds of recipes -- miso butter chicken, miso butter fish, miso butter steak, and miso butter roasted veggies. Miso butter adds a rich, umami taste to any dish. Umami is the 5th taste that makes you wonder, "Why is this dish so delicious?" Read my post on umami to learn more.
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For this Miso Butter Chicken, or any miso butter dish you prepare, use unsalted butter, as there is already a substantial amount of salt in the miso. I also recommend you use white miso, because it is a little more delicate in flavor. Save the darker miso for a more robust protein, like steak or salmon.Lentils
Another modification I made to this Miso Butter Chicken recipe is that I add either French de Puy lentils or Beluga lentils. I love these small, firm lentils for their flavor and texture, and they help me increase my legume consumption. Lentils are optional in this recipe, but I like what they add in terms a nutrition and satiety.
Be forewarned: De Puy lentils have skyrocketed in price, probably due to tariffs on imports. De Puy lentils are grown only in the De Puy region of France and carry the protection of Protected Designation of Origin, so no other lentils can be named De Puy. Beluga lentils are a good substitute. Just do not use the larger, flakier lentils, such as brown, red, or orange lentils.
Prepping the Pomelo
Prepping the pomelo is the most challenging part of making this recipe. Once you know the proper technique, it is a lot less daunting. Pomelos are covered with a thick pith that sometimes is as thick as 1." You can see my method for removing the pith here.
You slice off the top and bottom of the pomelo to reveal the fruit inside. Then you score it with a knife from top to bottom every 3" or so, all around the fruit. Insert your thumbs into the middle of the fruit and pull apart along the score lines. Peel off the outer pith and remove the membranes with your fingers, using a knife to cut away any tricky bits. Don't worry about getting whole segments, just make sure to remove all of the membrane.
Basic Steps for Preparing Miso Butter Chicken with Lentils and Pomelo
Prep the lentils
Saute shallots in a sauce pan, add lentils and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until al dente, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Spread greens and radicchio over a large plate. Add a layer of lentils on top of the greens.
Mix miso, melted butter and mirin together.
Coat the chicken with half the miso mixture using your hands and bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn on the broiler and brown the tops of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and let rest on a plate.
Make the sauce in the roasting pan on the stove, by deglazing with grapefruit juice and adding the remaining miso-butter mixture and any juice that has accumulated on the chicken plate. Reduce the sauce until nicely thickened.
Slice the chicken and arrange on the platter. Dress with the miso sauce. This Miso Butter Chicken is wow-inspiring. I think you are going to love it.
PrintMiso-Butter Chicken with Lentils and Pomelo
A flavorful Miso Butter Chicken with Pomelo and Lentils makes for a sophisticated one-dish meal suitable for weeknight cooking and elegant enough for entertaining.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 - 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: New American
Ingredients
Scale
For the lentils:
Note: lentils are optional in this dish, but If you have some on hand, I think they make an excellent addition.
- Splash of olive oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 1/2 cup beluga or French De Puy lentils, rinsed
- 4 cups chicken stock
For the sauce:
- 6 T melted unsalted butter
- 6 T white miso
- 1/4 cup mirin
- Zest from one pomelo
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken breast
For the salad:
- 1 large or 2 small pomelo (I like this dish fruit forward, so feel free to be generous with the pomelo)
- 5 ounces bitter greens (I like a mix of arugula, radicchio and spinach)
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- Prepped pomelo with pith and membrane removed
For the finishing sauce:
- 1/4 cup of grapefruit juice
Instructions
For the lentils:
- Put a splash of olive oil in a saucepan and add minced shallot. Sauté on medium heat until soft and the shallot just begins to color, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add the lentils and toast, stirring for a minute or two. Add chicken stock, turn up the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook to package instructions, about 15 – 20 minutes. Lentils should be al dente, firm, but cooked. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
For the sauce:
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- While lentils are cooking, make the sauce. Whisk melted butter, white miso, mirin and pomelo zest together with a whisk until smooth.
For the chicken:
- Dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish that can also be used on the stove. Scoop half of the miso butter sauce over the chicken and rub it into the pieces with your hands. Spread chicken pieces in a single layer in a 13 x 9 x 2″ metal roasting pan. The pan needs to be suitable for baking, broiling, and cooking on the stove. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until internal temperature is 150 degrees F.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, run it under the broiler for a couple of minutes, just enough to brown the tops. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate to rest and collect residual juices. Save these juices for the final sauce. Once cool, slice the chicken into strips.
- Set the baking pan with the remaining juice on the stove and heat over medium. Add the grapefruit juice to the baking dish to deglaze the pan, stirring to incorporate any brown flavor bits that formed while the chicken was baking. Stir in the remaining reserved sauce as well as any juices that collected on the chicken plate and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Spread the greens and radicchio on a large platter and top with lentils, chicken pieces, and pomelo segments. Drizzle the sauce over everything. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- See my post on how to prepare pomelo. It’s not hard once you know how. It can be a frustrating disaster if you don’t know the technique.
- This recipe makes enough for 6 to 8 people. I make the entire recipe for just my husband and I and we eat it for two nights plus some lunch. Not a drop goes to waste. It is that good.
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