Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 tablespoon white wine or vermouth
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional for coating the chicken)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced)
  • Very generous pinch cayenne (red pepper powder, or paprika (sweet or smoked))
  • 2 small scallions (chopped)
  • 8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs ((about 2 pounds, 1kg))
  • 1/4 cup (20g) toasted breadcrumbs (panko, or cracker crumbs)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instruction

  • Heat the grill to about 375ºF (190ºC), if your grill has a thermometer. If not, get it moderately hot, but remember that this cooks best over medium, indirect heat.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the white wine and mustard together. Slowly drizzle the butter and olive oil into the mustard mixture, whisking constantly. Add the thyme, cayenne and scallions. Set aside.
  • Toss the chicken thighs in a bowl with a good drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.
  • Without unrolling or flattening the thighs, set them on a grill, bone side down over indirect heat, not over a direct flame. Lower the cover of the grill and let cook, checking frequently, until the tops of the thighs go from being raw to changing color with the exterior looking cooked. The inside will still be undercooked, and they will have shrunk by about one-third. They should take about 15 minutes to reach this point. The bottom may be nice and crispy. If they get too dark, slip a sheet of aluminum foil under them.
  • Start basting the chicken frequently with the sauce, closing the cover, then lifting it a few minutes later to baste them again. Continue cooking, and basting a bit, until the thighs are cooked through, which will be between 15 and 20 more minutes depending on the temperature of the grill.
  • About ten minutes before the thighs are finished, sprinkle the tops with breadcrumbs and keep basting; avoid disturbing the crumb crust and dribble the sauce over the crumbs, rather than brushing. The thighs are done when you poke a paring knife into one and the chicken is cooked close to the bone or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers at least 165ºF/75ºC. Remove from the grill and serve.