CHICKEN FEST '09 Goes to the Dark Side: Leg Quarters and Maple-Mustard Glaze

I had posted this recipe before way back in January, but decided it was so good I had to make it and share it again, as part of Chicken Fest '09. 

I started Chicken Fest with two giant family-packs of chicken breasts, but also got a giant family-pack of leg quarters (thighs and drumsticks still attached to each other).  Although this recipe was originally for cornish game hens, it's now one of my favorite ways to do dark meat chicken. The recipe below doubles the original. 

Maple-Mustard Chicken

Ingredients:

about 3 pounds leg quarters, drumsticks, or thighs (about 5 or 6 leg quarters)

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons butter (margarine is OK)

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard (zesty brown deli mustard is good too)

2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled (how it comes out of the jar is  just right)

Salt and pepper (I skip the salt. It's unnecessary from both a taste and nutritional standpoint.)

Heat oven to 350 F. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until butter melts, stirring until well combined. 

Remove skin from chicken. Place in a 9"x13" or 10"x15" baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush with maple mixture. Roast for about 1 hour, basting occasionally,  until juices run clear and the meat thermometer stuck in the thickest part reaches 180F or higher. 

For side dishes, we had brown rice and a basic salad of romaine lettuce and cucumbers. In the fall, we enjoy butternut or acorn squash with this dish. 

We found ourselves eating this with our hands, like barbeque or fried chicken, which was OK, except it would be a little too messy to do that at work. When I packed the leftovers for Chris, I laid down a thick layer of rice in the plastic container, cut the chicken off the bone, and put that and some of the glaze on top. He got an apple for a side dish.