Most of us make a lot of chicken dishes. This one is quick and easy, and full of flavor. It has been created for a Ready, Set, Cook contest. It uses seven RSC ingredients (two more than required), so you can omit the mushrooms if you are a non-mushroom lover. The timing is a little hard to calculate. Not counting the marinating (which I did overnight once and 8 hours for another time), I found that I could make all of the rest of the recipe within 50 minutes. But I was busy for a lot of the time.
03Combine panko breadcrumbs, thyme, smoked paprika, lemon zest and salt in a bowl and stir well.
04Remove each thigh piece from marinade and dredge in the panko mixture. Transfer to a plate. Note: Panko breadcrumbs are larger and crispier than regular breadcrumbs. I love their taste and texture -- I cut the thighs in half so I can use more crumbs. If you leave the thighs whole, you will probably need only 1 cup of crumbs.
05Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet/frying pan. Brown the thighs, on both sides – about 4-5 minutes per side. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to do this in more than one batch.
06Transfer partially-cooked thighs to a baking dish and pop in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.
07While the thighs are cooking, wipe out the skillet/frying pan you used for the chicken, so you can use it again. Hey, why wash pots and pans unnecessarily. And slice the onions and mushrooms, and chop the garlic and parsley.
08Melt the butter in the wiped-out skillet and add the last tablespoon of oil. Heat. Then add the sliced onions and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the sliced mushrooms and chopped garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until everything has softened.