Miso-Butter Roast Chicken With Acorn Squash Panzanella

Ingredients for Miso-Butter Roast Chicken With Acorn Squash Panzanella

• 1 (3 1/2–4-lb.) whole chicken

• 2 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more

• 2 small acorn squash (about 1.4kg total)

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped sage

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 3 tablespoons room temperature

• 1/4 teaspoons ground allspice

• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/3 loaf good-quality sturdy white bread, torn into 1" pieces (about 600ml )

• 2 medium apples (such as Gala or Pink Lady

• about 400g total), cored, cut into 1" pieces

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 45ml apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon white miso

• 30g plain flour

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 60ml dry white wine

• 475ml unsalted chicken broth

• 2 teaspoons white miso

• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Pat chicken dry with paper towels, season all over with 2 teaspoons salt, and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.

Meanwhile, halve squash and scoop out seeds. Run a vegetable peeler along ridges of squash halves to remove skin. Cut each half into 1/2"-thick wedges; arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.

Combine sage, rosemary, and 90ml melted butter in a large bowl; pour half of mixture over squash on baking sheet. Sprinkle squash with allspice, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoons salt and season with black pepper; toss to coat.

Add bread, apples, oil, and 1/4 teaspoons salt to remaining herb butter in bowl; season with black pepper and toss to combine. Set aside.

Place onion and vinegar in a small bowl; season with salt and toss to coat. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until ready to serve.

Place a rack in middle and lower third of oven; preheat to 218°C. Mix miso and 45ml room-temperature butter in a small bowl until smooth. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, then rub or brush all over with miso butter. Place chicken in a large cast-iron skillet and roast on middle rack until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 68°C, 50–60 minutes. (Temperature will climb to 74°C while chicken rests.) Let chicken rest in skillet at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate; reserve skillet.

Meanwhile, roast squash on lower rack until mostly tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and scatter reserved bread mixture over, spreading into as even a layer as you can manage. Return to oven and roast until bread is golden brown and crisp and apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, drain pickled onions, and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish.

Using your fingers, mash flour and butter in a small bowl to combine.

Set reserved skillet with chicken drippings over medium heat. You should have about 60ml , but a little over or under is all good. (If you have significantly more, drain off and set excess aside.) Add wine and cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until bits are loosened and wine is reduced by about half (you should be able to smell the wine), about 2 minutes. Add butter mixture; cook, stirring often, until a smooth paste forms, about 2 minutes. Add broth and any reserved drippings and cook, stirring constantly, until combined and thickened, 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in miso. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.

Serve chicken with gravy and squash panzanella alongside.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.