Mom’s favorite chicken dinner gets a makeover

The only problem with crumby chicken is the silent b. Try calling your mother’s awesome breadcrumb-coated chicken by its traditional name in conversation, and people will think you’re being mean. But Mom’s crumb-y chicken is not crummy at all.

That’s why I call my version of this retro classic “crispy mustard chicken with breadcrumbs,” so there’s no misunderstanding.

But there’s another rationale to the longer title: Leading with the texture highlights the delightful, audible crispness of the skin. As the bone-in chicken thighs roast, the fat from the skin renders, endowing the buttered coating with a deep and delightful crunch. Using panko in place of the usual finely ground breadcrumbs (or cornflakes or cracker crumbs, depending on what Mom had around) makes the crisp coating feathery light and almost airy.

In another deviation, I use a piquant mix of mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chile flakes and garlic instead of dipping the chicken pieces in some combination of eggs, milk or melted butter before rolling them in the crumbs. The spiked mustard seasons the meat, keeping it juicy and tender, while also preventing the crumbs from sliding off the chicken and onto the baking pan.

And about that baking pan: If your mother made this dish, she probably baked it in a 9by-13-inch pan or casserole dish. I opt for a sheet pan. Its lower sides allow air to circulate, encouraging the chicken pieces to brown more evenly.

A modern take on a retro classic, these breadcrumb-coated chicken thighs, helped out by a generous dose of melted butter, get especially crisp as they roast. To keep the crumbs from falling off, the chicken thighs are first coated with a piquant mix of mustard and Worcestershire sauce spiked with garlic, lemon zest and red-pepper flakes. This both seasons the meat and keeps it juicy. Using panko gives the golden chicken skin a light and feathery crunch, but regular breadcrumbs would also work. If you’d rather use white meat, whole bone-in, skin-on breasts are the best bet here; boneless breasts tend to dry out in the time needed for the crumb coating to crisp and brown.

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or use a mix of thighs and drumsticks)

3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), more for sprinkling

1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 1⁄4 cups panko breadcrumbs (or use regular breadcrumbs)

1⁄4

cup Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 ⁄ tablespoons fresh thyme 1

2 leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving

It will take at least 35 to 45 minutes for the crumbs to turn golden and crisp, which means dark meat is the best choice for this recipe. (Delicate white meat is prone to drying out during long stints in the oven.)

1⁄2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle chicken thighs lightly with salt.

In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, panko and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt until the panko is well coated.

Still, if it’s white meat or nothing in your household, try this with bone-in, skin-on breasts. Keep a close eye on them and pull them out as soon as they are cooked through (25 to 35 minutes depending on the

In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, garlic, thyme, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, red-pepper flakes, black pepper and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt.

Lightly brush the thighs all over with the Dijon mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheet, skin sides up. Top evenly with the panko mixture and drizzle lightly with oil.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until

size). The crumbs may not be quite as burnished, but the meat will stay nicely moist. And if you’d rather skip the bones, boneless, skinless thighs work nearly as well, though you’ll lose that blanket the chicken is cooked through and the panko topping is golden brown. If you want more color on the thighs, broil on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching closely. Serve with lemon wedges.

Makes 4-6 servings

By Melissa Clark of potato chiplike chicken skin.

Serve this with a big green salad to round out your wonderful, crumby meal. Just don’t call it that out loud — unless Mom’s around. She’ll know exactly what you mean.

Bobbi Lin/New York Times Panko makes this breadcrumb-coated chicken especially crisp, but regular breadcrumbs will work in a pinch. Chicken thighs are better suited to this treatment than white meat.