Miso-Marinated Grilled Chicken (鶏の西京焼き, Tori no Saikyōyaki)

The danger in Saikyōyaki is not the marinade. It's impatience at the fire. Sweet white miso gives chicken thigh a pale gold gloss and deep savor, but it also scorches before the meat has finished cooking. That is the one detail that decides the dish.

Use boneless chicken thigh, preferably skin-on if you can find it. The thigh has enough fat to stay tender through the long miso rest, and the skin takes the grill beautifully when most of the paste has been wiped away. We are not painting on a sauce at the end. We are letting the miso season the meat slowly, all the way in.

Saikyō miso, the sweet white miso of Kyoto, is mild, fragrant, and almost creamy. Mixed with sake and mirin, it becomes a bed for the chicken rather than a loud cloak over it. Leave it overnight, then wipe the surface nearly clean before grilling. A little miso left in the corners is welcome. A thick coat is a small fire waiting to happen, and nobody needs such drama for dinner.

Serve it with rice, something vinegared, and a green vegetable. This is comfort food with good manners: rich, restrained, and best when given a little empty space on the plate.