Soy-Ginger Roast Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms

Soy-Ginger Roast Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms

Photograph by James Carrier

Serves 6 to 8
Time 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours, plus at least 4 hours to brine


Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups soy sauce, divided
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh ginger, divided
10 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 chicken (6 to 8 lbs.)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/4 cup cilantro sprigs, rinsed
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup mirin or sake
1 tbsp. prepared hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 lbs. fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 lb. green onions, trimmed


Directions

1. In a large pot, combine 1 cup soy sauce, the brown sugar, 1/4 cup ginger, 6 garlic cloves, and 4 qts. water; mix well.

2. Remove giblets and fat from chicken. Rinse bird well; pierce skin all over with a fork. Lay chicken breast down in brine; cover and chill at least 4 or up to 12 hours, turning several times.

3. Preheat oven to 425°. Discard brine. Rinse chicken well; pat dry. Set breast up on a V-shaped rack in an 11- by 17-in. pan.

4. Push 1/4 cup chopped cilantro under skin, evenly over breast. Place sprigs in body cavity; add 2 tbsp. ginger and remaining 4 garlic cloves. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, mix remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp. ginger, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro with broth, vinegar, mirin, hoisin, and oil. Trim stems from shiitakes. Chop green onions, separating tops from bottoms. Mix mushrooms, onion bottoms, and all but 1/2 cup tops with soy mixture. Lift out and distribute around chicken; reserve soy mixture.

6. Roast chicken, turning vegetables once, until a thermometer inserted through thickest part of breast to bone reaches 170°, 3/4 to 1 1/4 hours longer.

7. Lift bird and tilt to drain juices into pan. Set on a rimmed platter. Arrange vegetables around chicken. Let rest 15 minutes.

8. Skim and discard fat from pan. Add reserved soy mixture; boil over high heat until reduced to 3/4 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain into a small pitcher.

9. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with remaining chopped green onion tops. Carve chicken; serve with vegetables and pan juices.

Serve With Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Santa Ynez Valley)