Maple and Mustard-Glazed Chicken Thighs #FoodBloggerLove

Earlier this month I noticed a fun game posted in the online group #FoodBloggerLove. We claim the last blogger in the comment stream and add our own link. Then we have a week to post an inspired recipe. I was thrilled to claim Ellen of Family Around the Table. She and I have been in several different blogging groups over the years, so I was familiar with her blog already. But it was great to really dive deep and get to know her better.

Meet Ellen! You can find her: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Pinterest.

She is a freelance writer, recipe developer, and former correspondent for the Tampa Bay Times where she wrote a regular TASTE section feature as well as reviewed cookbooks for more than 15 years. And, regarding her blog name, she credits her mom, her kids, and her grandmother for the inspiration. She remembers her grandmother making fresh pasta for dinner, writing, "She was from Italy and a very good cook so I come by my love of cooking naturally. My Mom inherited her cooking skills too."

Everyone needs an Italian nonna to get them into the kitchen! The world would be a better place, I think, if more people spent time with older relatives learning useful life skills.

So, I explored Ellen's blog and will be making several of her other dishes, including her version of the Barefoot Contessa's Beef Bourguignon and a Hearty Vegetable Beef Stew. Like Ellen, I really love beef.

On the sweet side of things, her Out of this World Apple Cake is calling my name. But I think I will save her Italian Cream Cake with Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting for a special occasion.

But, for this post, I was inspired by her Maple Glazed Chicken as I had a new bottle of bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup and I definitely wanted to use it in a savory dish. This was it! I made a few changes in that I did this on the stove instead of in the oven and I skipped the vegetables and just served a green salad. But her combination of the sweet maple syrup and the tangy mustard was fantastic. I will definitely be making this again.

Ingredients serves 6

• 6 or 7 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
• 3/4 C pure maple syrup + more for finishing
• 3 T Dijon mustard
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T olive oil
• sesame seeds for garnish

Procedure

Mix maple syrup, mustard, and sesame oil together in a small mixing bowl and rub that mixture into the skin side of the chicken. In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil. Place the skin side of chicken down and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

Turn the chicken over - the skin will be browned and crisp - and cook on the second side for 25 to 30 minutes.

To finish, brush each chicken thigh with a thin layer of maple syrup and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately!