Baked Chicken Thighs with Crispy Anchovy Crust

Last year I made a delicious Mario Batali recipe for Grilled Chicken Thighs with a Panko-Anchovy Crust. Grilling the chicken with a loose crust was a bit cumbersome, so this year I decided to bake the chicken instead of grilling it.

I've run out of panko and have no day-old bread to turn to crumbs in my food processor. Default to a refrigerated canister of your standard, grocery store variety. They were decent when tossed with all the goodies, but panko or fresh breadcrumbs would have been my preference had I had them.

Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Refrigeration and bake time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
1-2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread flakes) or bread crumbs
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 lemon, quartered

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, and panko or bread crumbs. Combine well. Add additional anchovy paste and garlic to taste, keeping in mind the flavors will lose their intensity when baked.
3. Rinse and pat chicken thighs dry. Put the chicken thighs on a platter, large enough to accommodate them, and pat seasoned crumb mixture over the top of the thighs. Let sit, refrigerated, 15 minutes.
4. On an oiled aluminum-lined sheet pan, bake chicken on center rack of oven until lightly browned and cooked through, 20-30 minutes depending on thickness of chicken thighs. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.