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Miso and Bourbon Smothered Chicken
This is our multicooker spin on a recipe in “Smoke and Pickles” by chef Edward Lee. Smothered dishes are all about the gravy. In this version, bone-in chicken thighs get sauced with a shiitake mushroom–laced combination of umami-rich soy sauce and miso, woodsy bourbon and sweet-tangy orange juice. Tahini is optional, but it makes a silky-smooth, lighlty creamy sauce, and its nutty, slightly bitter flavor works well with the other ingredients. Serve with steamed Asian rice or light, fluffy biscuits.
4
Servings
Don’t forget to trim the stems from the mushrooms. Shiitake stems are tough and fibrous. Extended pressure cooking can render them tender enough to eat, but the cooking time in this recipe is too brief.
FAST: 1¼ hours
Slow: 4½ to 5½ hours
35 minutes active
Ingredients
-
3
tablespoons soy sauce
-
2
tablespoons white miso
Directions
-
01In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and miso until smooth, then whisk in the orange juice; set aside. On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, then continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the bourbon and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the miso mixture and 1 cup water, then nestle the chicken in an even layer, slightly overlapping the pieces, if needed.
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We’re so glad you're exploring our recipes. When we developed the recipes for our Instant Pot book, Fast and Slow, we offered pressure cooker and slow cooker instructions for every recipe that worked well cooked either way. Recipes that have only one set of instructions did not produce good results when prepared with the alternative method. And unfortunately, it’s not possible for us to reverse engineer Instant Pot recipes for stovetop cooking. But the good news is that many of them were inspired by recipes we’d already prepared for conventional cooking methods. If you check our website, you might find what you are looking for.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
I made the instant pot version last night; it was good. Couldn't really taste the essence of bourbon at all, but the miso was a good mellow flavor. Can't say it's a favorite recipe, but it came through in a pinch to feed some hungry people. I loved the onions and mushrooms together.
One suggestion: I followed the recipe to the letter, and even with the thickener it was bathed in gravy. Maybe a little less liquid?
Julie - I'm glad this recipe came through for you! With your gravy, did you find that you had too much quantity total, or that the gravy was too thin - or both? If it was too thin, you can opt to reduce the sauce a bit, using the sauté function, after you've removed the chicken from the Instant Pot. Then, the reduced sauce combined with the cornstarch will produce a sauce that is thicker, as well as less copious. If you didn't use the tahini the first time you made it, try it for next time, as that will also help to thicken the gravy.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Is it possible to double this recipe?