Pat the chicken thighs dry and season them with 1 tsp of the salt and the black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a 28 cm / 11-inch Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown 3 thighs skin side down for 5 to 6 minutes until deep golden, then flip and cook 2 minutes more. Move them to a plate and repeat with the other 3 thighs.

Pour off the fat until about 3 tbsp are left in the pot. Lower the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste, sweet paprika, hot paprika, and allspice. Cook for 1 minute until the paste darkens and smells fragrant. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaf, then pour in the wine and vinegar. Scrape up the browned bits and simmer for 2 minutes until the sharp smell of alcohol fades.

Add the crushed tomatoes, water, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Return the chicken to the pot skin side up, along with any juices from the plate. Bring to a gentle bubble, then set the lid slightly ajar and cook over low heat for 50 minutes, turning the thighs once halfway. The thighs are done at 195 F / 90 C, when the meat pulls from the bone and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

About 25 minutes before the sauce is done, bring 4 liters / 4 quarts of water to a boil in a 6-quart / 5.7 L pot. Add the coarse salt and the bucatini, then cook for 11 to 12 minutes, 1 minute less than the package says, until al dente. Scoop out 120 ml / 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain. When the chicken is done, fish out the cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaf with tongs. Cloves left in the sauce turn it bitter.

Toss the drained pasta with about 2 cups / 480 ml of sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, adding pasta water a splash at a time, until the sauce clings to the noodles. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve each bowl with one thigh and extra sauce, topped with the grated kefalotyri.