Crispy Mustard Chicken courtesy of Ina Garten

This recipe is a rarity for me.  Usually after I try a recipe for the first time, I tweak something to better suit my tastes but this is one of the few recipes I have not made a single change to because it is absolutely perfect and I am giving Ina Garten, queen of the Hampton's and Chambray shirts, all the credit.  The only I do change is the proportions since I have no use for eight chicken pieces for 2 people.

I think what I love most about this dish is its simple elegance.  The recipe only calls for a few ingredients (most of which I keep in my kitchen) so it is a great go to dish for a last minute dinner party especially since it is very scalable and all of the cooking is done in the oven so you are not stuck in the kitchen until dinner is ready.

Ingredient Count: 7 (I only needed to buy 3)

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cups panko (Japanese bread flakes)
1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
1 ttbsp good olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup Dijon mustard, such as Grey Poupon
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 chicken thighs (You can use any skin on chicken pieces that you like)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the garlic, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the garlic is finely minced. Add the panko, lemon zest, olive oil, and butter and pulse a few times to moisten the bread flakes. Pour the mixture onto a large plate. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the mustard and wine.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and pepper. Dip each piece in the mustard mixture to coat on all sides, and then place skin-side down only into the crumb mixture, pressing gently to make the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken on a sheet pan crumb-side up. Press the remaining crumbs on the chicken pieces.

Bake the chicken for 40 minutes. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and bake for another 10 minutes, until the crumbs are browned and the chicken is cooked through.

The best thing about this chicken is it can be served with anything, rice, couscous, green beans, asparagus... it goes with anything.

Whether you are cooking this on a random weeknight or for guests, do as Ina does and pour yourself a glass of white wine pretend you are in your Hampton's beach house and enjoy.