Deviled Chicken Thighs
The culinary practice of “deviling” meat and poultry originates from 18th Century England. The Deviled Chicken Thigh is a mid-twentieth century adaptation, and the substitution of Panko for traditional bread crumbs is a 21st Century creation.
I used to make this recipe, or something very near it, decades ago, and then totally forgot about it. I ran across this recipe on the Food Network website, which rekindled my memory of the dish I used to make.
I didn’t call my version Deviled Chicken, I called it Dijon Baked Chicken since that was its predominant flavor.
Which begs the question: what is it, beside the common ingredient of mustard, that makes a Deviled Egg or Deviled Chicken deviled? It turns out that use of any spicy ingredient including hot sauce, Cayenne pepper or the aforementioned mustard is what constitutes evocation of satanic forces and the culinary term of “deviled” - until you come to Devil's Food Cake. Then, the mustard denominator does not apply.
The culinary term “deviled” originated in England during the late 18th Century and the earliest known printed culinary use of the term dates to 1786 in Britain. Initially, it was commonly applied to spicy meat dishes such as “deviled kidneys.” By around 1800, “to devil” had become a verb meaning to season food heavily or make it spicy. Deviled Chicken Thighs is really a modern variation of a much older dish known simply as Deviled Chicken. So, there’s no magical reason for not using other parts of the bird for this recipe, but if you use bone-in chicken breasts, reduce the cooking time by ten minutes. I don’t recommend boneless, skinless chicken breasts, however. The chicken skin is what makes this dish so delightfully crispy. That, plus the Panko.
When I made this dish previously, I used traditional American-style bread crumbs, but a more modern take is the use of Panko. It’s a lighter, crispier Japanese bread crumb that has risen in popularity since the early 2000s.
And It’s Called, Simply, “Panko”
Up until the ‘90s, no one on this side of the Pacific really knew about Panko, but it has been around in Japanese cooking since the 19th Century. It was during this time that Western-style bread was introduced to Japan, and it gradually became integrated into the local diet.
Panko: "pan" means bread, and "ko" means crumbs in Japanese, so if you say, “Panko Bread Crumbs,” you’re really saying “Bread Crumbs Bread Crumbs” and showing your ignorance as a Westerner. But even Kikkoman is still trying to educate us.
Panko is made from a special type of bread that’s baked without a crust. This bread is then processed into large, airy, flaky crumbs that give it its distinctive texture. Unlike traditional bread crumbs, which are often finer and denser, Panko has a lighter, crispier crunch when fried or baked.
By the way, do not underestimate the need to use a wire rack above the baking sheet for this recipe, both to rest the chicken prior to going in the oven and for the cooking process itself. It allows the heat to fully circulate the chicken, giving you that delicious crispy crust all around.
Deviled Chicken Thighs
The culinary practice of “deviling” meat and poultry originates from 18th Century England. The Deviled Chicken Thigh is a mid-twentieth adaptation, and the substitution of Panko for traditional bread crumbs is 21st Century creation.
Ingredients
- 4 medium to large bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
- 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup Panko
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (like, Kraft)
- 1 tsp paprika
- fine sea salt to taste
- 2 tbsp dried chives
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
Instructions
- Preheat the to 425°F with a rack in the center.
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, position a wire rack on top and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine the butter and garlic in a microwave safe dish and and melt in the microwave. Whisk in the Dijon and one pinch of cayenne.
- In a large bowl, combine the Panko, Parmesan, chives, paprika and the remaining pinch of cayenne.
- Salt the chicken thighs, then dip each one in the mustard mixture to coat and roll in the Panko on all sides. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet so the pieces do not touch.
- Bake on the center oven rack until the coating is browned and crispy and the chicken is no longer pink near the bone, 40-50 minutes.
Notes
- If you choose to use chicken breast instead of thighs, reduce cooking time by 10-15 minutes.
