Miso Herb Roasted Chicken with Spiced Blueberry Vinaigrette (One Hour Roast)
Roasted hot and fast, this miso herb pesto rubbed chicken comes out of the oven juicy and glistening with a crispy skin. The pesto infuses the skin with umami flavors, which are balanced by a zesty, spicy, and fresh tasting blueberry vinaigrette.
Servings: 6
Calories: 572kcal
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 3-4 lbs
Spiced Blueberry Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup frozen blueberries or 1/3 cup fresh, see notes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 clove garlic use full if quite small
- 1/2 large shallot
- 12 leaves fresh basil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup sub honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1/4 tsp cumin ground
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger tip of pinky finger sized nub of ginger root
Miso Herb Pesto
- 2 cups mixed fresh herbs parsley, basil, thyme, sage - see notes
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts or toasted
- 2 cloves fresh garlic just one if giant clove
- 2 tbsp white miso this is the milder miso
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Optional Roasted Vegetables
- 1 leek or two if small
- 1 sweet potato medium to large
- 1 box cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms can sub white, or baby bellas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450
Make Spiced Blueberry Vinaigrette (can make ahead)
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blitz until the vinaigrette emulsifies and the blueberries are completely pureed. This will mean there are little to no bits of blueberry skin as specs, and the liquid will be pure purple. Set aside to chill.
Make Miso Herb Pesto (can make ahead)
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blitz until the pesto emulsifies and develops a relatively smooth texture as per the photo in this post. 1/4 cup of olive oil should be the right amount, so that it emulsifies but isn't too oily (being used as a rub on the chicken- no need for too much oil).
Roast the chicken
- Line a sheet pan with parchment, place the unwrapped whole chicken on the pan. Use all your might to press down on the top of the breast in order to flatten the chicken. A couple bones in the chicken breast will break, allowing the chicken to lay flat (but not quite butterfly since you are not removing the spine).
- Smear about 3/4 of the pesto all over the exterior of the chicken, mostly on the top but some on the underside.
- Place in center of preheated oven and cook for 50-60 min. The chicken will get quite golden, and the juices should run clear. It will, not, however, have the super soft and loose feel of a slow roasted chicken. Use a thermometer to check for doneness and/or cut into chicken down to bone in a couple spots to ensure its doneness. I have cooked my chickens this way for years, and it will yield a very juicy chicken with crispy skin.
- Optional: If you'd like to include roasted vegetables for a complete meal, place them on the tray around the chicken for the 2nd half of the cooking time. See notes.
- Serve with blueberry vinaigrette drizzled over the top. Garnish with fresh basil and blueberries for a pretty presentation. The leftover miso herb pesto can be served at the table as an additional condiment.
Notes
Blueberries- I have made this vinaigrette with frozen as well as fresh berries. I prefer frozen, as it creates a slightly less bulky liquid, if you will, but both taste delicious! Fresh berries are always nice for garnish as well, whether you serve the dressing over a buratta salad or this cooked smothered chicken.
Fresh herbs- You can tailor this to your liking. For example, if you do not like sage, which is stronger, you can simply leave it out and increase the others.
Optional Vegetables- if you don't have plans for serving with a salad or other veggies, you can roast the suggested vegetables, during the second half of the hour. Just be sure to chop them about 1/2" in size so they get fully cooked within the 30 minutes.
Storage-the dressing and pesto will keep in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, so you can make ahead.
Nutrition
Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 4mg | Magnesium: 79mg | Net Carbohydrates: 19g