Almond Butter Miso Chicken Thighs

My first taste of miso was when I was living and working in Nagoya, Japan. It was used in a lot of foods such as soup, sauces and marinades. It is a unique flavor. I have made this dish for a lot of people. I changed it from the original which called for peanut butter. I switched to almond butter when I had a client who was allergic to peanuts. You can use either. I like to marinade the chicken a day in advance, then either grill it or put it in the oven to bake. I used boneless skinless thighs, but I also think some chicken tenders would be great as well.

Ingredients: 4 servings

16 - 20 oz. package of boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/3 c white Miso (I used Miso Master Organic Mellow White)

1/3 c low sodium Soy Sauce

1/3 c Brown Sugar (I used organic coconut palm sugar)

1/3 c Almond Butter (organic)

1/3 c Beer (a lager is perfect)

Mix the marinade ingredients together, add the chicken, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Put in a foil lined baking dish or pan. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

If grilling. Heat all the burners to high and brush the grate with oil. Turn to medium and place the chicken on the grill. Once it is brown on one side, turn it over and grill the other. Parts will begin to char a little because of the sugar. Once both sides are brown and slightly charred, move to the top of the grill and turn the heat to low. Check the chicken with a meat thermometer. Thighs should register 170 and breasts 160. Remove from the heat. Cover with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Suggested side dishes:

Steamed rice

Sesame cucumbers:

Thinly slice some cucumber and add a little salt and sugar with some rice vinegar and sesame oil. Taste and adjust accordingly. Mix together and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.

Kimchi:

This may be found in the refrigerated produce section at most grocery stores. It is easy to make your own.

Carrots with Ginger:

Peel some carrots and grate on the large whole side of a box grater. Mince some ginger and add to the carrots. Season with salt and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for about 1 hour.

Enjoy!