* Buttered Parmesan Chicken Thighs

Sometimes, just a simple change to how you'd normally prepare something for cooking and eating - makes you feel as though you've just discovered that you can't get pregnant simply by kissing a boy.... yup... honestly thought that could happen and had, in fact, planned to have a baby that way. Right up until I was seven and asked a few too many questions one Sunday morning, when lying in bed with my mum, dad and baby bruvver...

...Since then I have lived by the philosophy that if you don't want to know the answer... don't ask the bloody question.

I did want to know whether or not I could use melted butter, instead of eggs and flour as a base/glue to coat these chicken thighs with though (before dipping them in everything else)- so I gave it a shot and I am NEVER going back. I made "MmmmmMMMMMM" noises all the way through  dinner until Neil put his knife and fork down and raised his eyebrows at me. Neil never puts his knife and fork down until he's finished inhaling his food. I shut up. For about a second.

No, it's not overly health conscious of me to have used butter, but I rarely use it in cooking and on this occasion it was worth it. It took a rather familiar and placid meal and added a comforting depth of flavour to it, that it was previously missing.

We ate ours with new potatoes and vegetables, and the leftovers went into a couple of tiger rolls for Neil's packed lunch the following day. 

Just looking at the photographs of this, whilst I'm typing, is making me think we'll be having this again - or something else dipped in butter - pretty soon.

Oh Oh OH... SPINACH DIPPED IN BUTTER... food heaven or what?!?

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Buttered Parmesan Chicken Thighs Recipe

Serves 2 - 3 
 
Prep time - 20 minutes
Cooking time - 20 - 30 minutes
Total time - 40 - 50 minutes

You will need
A baking sheet lined with baking parchment

Ingredients
5 or 6 chicken thighs
3 tbsps butter
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
100g fresh bread crumbs (white or wholemeal)
1 tbsp dried parsley
3 tbsps grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Method

• Preheat oven to 190c/170c fan/375 f.
• Using a sharp knife, skin and de-bone the chicken thighs (if you haven't bought them that way)
• Place the butter on a heat proof plate and melt in the microwave - takes less than 30 seconds.
• Using a fork or whisk - stir the mustard into the butter.
• On a separate plate combine the bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
• Dip each chicken thigh, in turn, into the butter and mustard and then into the bread crumb mixture - coating both sides.
• Place on the baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the crumbs are golden and crispy.

EAT

NOTE: You can leave the bone in the chicken thighs, just make sure to cook for a bit longer (maybe 10 - 15 minutes). You can also use fresh parsley here. I didn't because I wanted to use up some dried that was in the cupboard considering suicide. I saved it. Coz I ate it.

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