Neither L. nor my camera were big fans of this as you can tell from the delightful image above, but I thought the chicken was delicious, especially cold the next day for lunch. It was an easy dish because the oven did most of the work and the end result was a bit tangy, a bit spicy AND crispy without being fried - what's not to like...
8 boneless chicken thighs
2 Tbsps Dijon mustard
1 Tbps cream
1/8 tsp chili flakes, Aleppo pepper, Piment d'Espelette, whatever you have to hand will work just fine; I used Aleppo pepper
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp ground bay leaf
1/2 tsp honey or maple syrup
3/4 cup unseasoned Panko
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl mix the mustard, cream, syrup or honey, 1/2 each of the spices and 1 teaspoon of the oil together. Add the chicken pieces one at a time and drag through the mustard mixture, making sure that each chicken piece is coated in the mustard mixture.
Lightly sprinkle the bottom of an oven safe dish with salt. Add the chicken in one layer over the top of that and salt the surface of the chicken lightly. If needs be, use 2 oven safe pans to ensure that the chicken will cook in one layer.
In a separate bowl, mix the panko well with the remaining spices and a bit of salt. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and use your fingers or a fork to ensure that the oil is well distributed through all of the breadcrumbs. Distribute the panko evenly over the top of the chicken.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.