Quick Crusty Mustard Chicken

We cannot eat enough mustard chicken in my house. I can’t try too many versions either! This version is less saucy and more of an oven-fried chicken with a delicious crispy mustard-shallot-breadcrumb coating. The coating is not only flavorful; it seals the moisture into the meat.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I used all chicken thighs (and removed the skin- still very moist!), increased the shallots and the fresh thyme, and substituted panko for some of the breadcrumbs. We ate it with roasted chioggia beets, potatoes, and acorn squash on the side. Yum!

• 4 pounds (about 8) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, skin removed
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to season chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup white breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup panko

1. Preheat broiler. Remove skin from chicken. Place chicken pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, lightly season with salt and pepper, and place under the broiler. Cook 5 minutes; using tongs, turn chicken pieces, and continue broiling 3 minutes more.
2. Mince shallot and thyme in a mini-food processor.
3. In a small bowl, combine mustard, shallots, thyme, black pepper, red-pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in butter and oil until thoroughly combined.
4. Combine breadcrumbs and panko in a shallow dish. Brush chicken pieces on both sides with the mustard mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture to coat completely.
5. Place coated chicken pieces on a clean baking sheet, and return to broiler. Cook until well browned all over, about 5 minutes, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Reduce oven heat to 500 degrees; continue roasting until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve hot.

One Year Ago:

• Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce

Two Years Ago:

• Chicken and Dumplings

Baked Mustard Chicken

My husband’s birthday celebration involves a special meal out and a special meal at home. For the past few years, there have been a few constants on the birthday menu at home: cheesecake (his FAVORITE listed on the link at the end of this post), mustard “something”, and potatoes. 🙂 When I first spotted this recipe in the New York Times, I immediately thought of my husband’s birthday dinner. It involved 3/4 cup of Dijon mustard (mustardy) and baked for HOURS (special). I quartered chickens for the first time too. (Thanks to help from You Tube!)

The chicken is coated with mustard, garlic, spices, and bread crumbs; this coating seals in the moisture as the chicken bakes. The original recipe stated that the chicken should cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the coating is dark and crispy. I set the oven to convection and shortened the baking time to 1 1/2 hours. The end result was tasty, but not that mustardy! It tasted more like delicious baked “fried” chicken. We ate it with wonderful creamed spinach and roasted potatoes. This recipe was adapted from Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin, via the New York Times.

Happy Birthday to my hubby and Happy Fiesta Friday #18 at The Novice Gardener!

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

• 3/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups fine dry unseasoned bread crumbs
• 2 chickens, approximately 3 pounds each, quartered, dried, at room temperature for 1 hour
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, or as needed
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. (I used a convection oven.) In a large mixing bowl, combine mustard, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place bread crumbs in another large bowl.
2.
Working in batches, coat chicken quarters on all sides with mustard mixture. Shake off excess mustard, then coat completely with bread crumbs. Arrange in a single layer in two large, shallow baking pans.
3.
Dust the chicken with paprika to taste and scatter butter pieces on top. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and crispy, about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes in a convection oven, or 2 hours  to 2 1/2 hours in a standard oven. Serve hot or at room temperature.

One Year Ago:

• Vanilla Bean Birthday Cheesecake

If you like this you may also like:

• Mustard Chicken
• Mustard Chicken with Shallots
• Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce
• Pork Tenderloin with Mustard-Wine Sauce

Fried Chicken Biscuits

This dish is the ultimate in comfort food. Definitely a special occasion meal- my excuse was Valentine’s Day dinner. 🙂 It’s a 3-inch buttermilk biscuit slathered in honey butter, filled with fried chicken, and then sprinkled with hot sauce. I modified the recipe to “lighten” it… ever so slightly… (Wasn’t it healthier because we ate it with green salad?!?) I substituted chicken thighs for chicken cutlets (our preference), used 1/2 the suggested amount of honey butter, and sautéed the chicken in minimal oil versus frying in 1/2-inch deep oil. The recipe was adapted from Pies-N-Thighs in Brooklyn, NYC, via Bon Appetit. My brother is a huge fan of this restaurant! A perfect meal with Whoopie Pies for dessert.

Yield: 4 to 5 Servings (4-5 biscuits)

For the Fried Chicken:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken cutlets OR 5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into cutlets (about 1½ lb. total), pounded to ¼” thickness
• Vegetable oil (for sautéing or frying; about 1/2 cup to 2½ cups)
• 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Honey Butter:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 T honey
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Biscuits:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more
• 3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend

For Serving:

• 4 or 5 Pies-N-Thighs Biscuits
• Hot sauce (I used Sriracha)

1. Prepare the Chicken: Combine buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag, turn to coat, and chill at least 3 hours.  DO AHEAD: Chicken can be marinated 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
2. Prepare Honey Butter: Mix butter, honey, and salt in a small bowl until smooth; set honey butter aside.
3. Make the Biscuits:
   • Preheat oven to 375°. Pulse baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and flour in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the texture of coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
   • Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in buttermilk with a fork, then gently knead just until a shaggy dough comes together.
   • Pat out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1¼” thick. Cut out biscuits with a 3” biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps once.
   • Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush tops with egg. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes (on convection) or up to 30–35 minutes.
4. Pour oil into a large skillet, preferably cast iron, to generously coat the bottom of the pan to sauté or to a depth of ½” to fry, and heat over medium-high heat until oil bubbles immediately when a little panko is added.
5. Meanwhile, place panko in a shallow bowl. Remove chicken from marinade; season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in panko, shaking off excess. Working in 2 batches and maintaining oil temperature, fry chicken until golden brown, crisp, and cooked through, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. (I cover the pan with a splatter screen to decrease the mess.) Transfer chicken to a paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain.
6. To Serve: Split biscuits and spread one side with 1 Tbsp. reserved honey butter. Build sandwiches with biscuits, chicken, and hot sauce.

One Year Ago:

• Swiss Chard Stuffed Shells