Roast Koji Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
• Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Steps:

• Grind koji in a spice mill or a blender to a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in salt; set aside.
• Starting at the neck end of the chicken, gently slide your fingers between the skin and breast to loosen skin; continue working down the thighs and legs to fully separate skin from meat (be careful not to tear). Rub koji mixture under skin all over meat and inside cavity, distributing evenly. Season outside of chicken generously with pepper and place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Chill at least 8 hours and up to 2 days, leaving uncovered up to 24 hours, then loosely covering if chilling longer.
• Let chicken sit at room temperature 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Roast chicken until skin is starting to brown all over, 15-20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165°F, 40-45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 15 minutes before carving.