Kombu Roast Chicken with Kabocha Squash and Daikon

5.0

(1)

2 Reviews

2019 Best New Chef Matthew Kammerer amps up butter with salty, mineral-rich seaweed at Harbor House Inn in Elk, California. We tried the butter under the skin of a roast chicken; it built major depth of flavor in this simple weeknight dinner.

By

Liz Mervosh

Updated on August 2, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Kombu Roast Chicken with Kabocha Squash and Daikon — Photo: Victor Protasio

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 40 mins

Yield:

4

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

1 (2-pound) kabocha or acorn squash, cut into 8 wedges, each wedge halved crosswise
1 (1-pound) daikon, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 ounce dried kombu, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated garlic
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together squash, daikon, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Arrange squash mixture in a roasting pan in a single layer.
Process kombu in a spice grinder until finely ground, about 25 seconds. Stir together 1 teaspoon ground kombu (reserve any remaining for another use), butter, garlic, lemon zest, and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt until thoroughly blended. Carefully run your fingers underneath skin of chicken breasts and thighs to loosen. Spread butter mixture under skin. Season outside of chicken with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Place chicken on top of squash mixture.
Roast in preheated oven until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of breast registers 155°F, about 1 hour, gently stirring squash mixture halfway through. Remove pan from oven; let chicken rest at least 15 minutes. Carve chicken, and serve with roasted vegetables.