Roasted Chicken Thighs with Peaches and Miso

Chicken thighs is  a part  of the chicken which I use often, and, as I’m not too fond of making the same dish over and over again, I try to find new ways to prepare it.

This time, I paired the thighs with peaches and onions, and seasoned it with a testy salty-sweet-spicy blend of miso paste, gochujang (Korean sweet-spicy paste), soy sauce and ketchup. All the ingredients worked remarkably well together, and the dish was very flavorful and tasty.
The dish is very quick to assemble and can be kept in the fridge for up to a day before roasting. Served with plain white rice and a green salad on the side, it makes a light yet hearty and tasty dinner. Try it and enjoy.

Notes:
* Miso paste is a Japanese salty condiment, made of fermented beans or grains. It is mostly used to prepare quick miso soup, but it can also be used to season different dishes. I’ve used brown rice miso, but any other types can be used instead.
* Gochujang is a Korean spicy-sweet paste. Note that it varies in texture and spiciness from one brand to another. I’ve used Bibigo’s brand in squeezable bottle,  which has smoother texture than most types.
* Fruit spreads are sweetened with fruit juices, thus they are less sweet than jams.
* I used Heinz ketchup sweetened with honey, which is less sweet than regular ketchup.
* Check THIS VERSION of this recipe, using mango instead of peaches. You will also find many other wonderful recipes in this blog.

Makes: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour and up to overnight
Roasting time: 50-55 minutes

Ingredients:
1 Tbs brown rice miso paste (see notes)
1 Tbs gochujang paste sauce (see notes)
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs ketchup (see notes)
2 Tbs peach fruit spread (see notes)
4 medium chicken thighs, bone-in skin on, preferably air-chilled
4 ripe but firm peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced (or frozen sliced peaches, thawed)
2 medium white onions, sliced thick
1 Tbs dark sesame oil

1. In a large bowl, mix the miso, gochujang paste, soy sauce, ketchup and fruit spread. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
2. Pat-dry the chicken, add to the bowl and mix well. Add the peaches and onion and mix again. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to overnight, mixing occasionally. Bring to room temperature when ready to roast.

3. Preheat the oven to 400F (205C). Line a roasting pan with foil and baking paper.
4. Arrange the chicken pieces in the pan. Add the peaches and onion around it and drizzle the oil all over.
5. Roast for 50-55 minutes, until the chicken skin is dark brown and the peaches and onion are soft and start to caramelize.