Baked Mustard Chicken

This recipe is the New York Times version of a Laurie Colwin recipe. I cut up one medium-sized chicken and halved the breasts, rather than using two small chickens. In doing so, I learned two things: a) I hate cutting up chickens, and b) the dark meat on the leg and thigh was preferable to to the breast meat in the finished product. I recommend buying about 4 pounds of skin-on, bone-in thighs and legs for this dish. 

Ingredients: 

• ¾ cup Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
•     Salt and black pepper
• 2 cups fine dry unseasoned bread crumbs
• 2 chickens, 2 to 3 pounds each, quartered, rinsed and dried
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, or as needed. I definitely used less.
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Methods:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine mustard, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Place the bread crumbs on a dinner plate or pie plate. 

Working in batches, coat the chicken on all sides with mustard mixture, then coat it completely with bread crumbs.  Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a large, shallow baking pan. Dust the chicken with paprika and scatter butter pieces on top. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and crispy, about 2 hours. Can be served hot or at room temperature.