HEALTHY FOOD so TASTY you'll
want to eat it EVERYDAY.
ASIAN CHICKEN DRUMETTES
Most people go for the ‘wings’ when serving party food, but I find they are just a bit too messy and take two hands to eat, so I opt for the tiny little drumsticks (drumettes) you can eat with one hand, without getting sauce all over the sides of your mouth. That said, my family loves it when I make these for dinner, so they’re not just party food!
Low carb, gluten free party food.
PREP TIME: 10 min
COOK TIME:
Wonder bag Method: 25 min on the stove, 3-4 hours in the bag
Conventional Method: 25 min on the stove, 2-3 hours in the oven
SERVES: 4 as a main course, (about 20 pieces for a party snack)
INGREDIENTS
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Salt and pepper
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2 to 2 ½ pounds (1 kg) chicken drumettes on the bone with skin (about 20 pieces)
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3 Tbsp (45 ml) sesame oil
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2 yellow onions, diced
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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2 tsp diced ginger
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1 Tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
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2 Tbsp (30 ml) honey
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3 Tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce
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1 Tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
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½ cup (30 g) diced coriander (leaves and stems)
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Roughly ¾ cup (360 ml) chicken stock, just enough to cover chicken half way
Just to give you the feel for the amount of ginger and cilantro (coriander).
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
WONDERBAG METHOD
1) Salt and pepper chicken pieces on both sides.
2) Heat a 2 ½ quart (3 liter), shallow braising pan (with short side handles) on medium-high. Add 2 Tbsp sesame oil and brown the chicken on both sides (about 3 minutes per side). Remove from pan and set aside.
3) Add remaining 1 Tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil and onions, sauté for 5 minutes, until soft and golden.
4) Add the garlic, ginger, lime juice, honey, soy, Worcestershire and coriander, and mix well.
5) Place the browned chicken on top of the onion mixture, and pour in enough stock to just come half-way up the chicken, taking care not to fully submerge the skin.
6) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
7) Seal your lidded pot in the Wonderbag and leave it to cook for a minimum of 3-4 hours.
8) When ready to serve, remove pot from bag, remove the lid from the pot and place dish under the broiler (grill) in your oven for about 5 min, just to crisp up the skin for a nice texture.
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
Preheat the oven to 300 F / 150 C
1) Salt and pepper chicken pieces on both sides.
2) Heat a 2 ½ quart (3 liter), shallow braising pan (with short side handles) on medium-high. Add 2 Tbsp sesame oil and brown the chicken on both sides (about 3 minutes per side). Remove from pan and set aside.
3) Add remaining 1 Tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil and onions, sauté for 5 minutes, until soft and golden.
4) Add the garlic, ginger, lime juice, honey, soy, Worcestershire and coriander, and mix well.
5) Place the browned chicken pieces back on top of the onion mixture, and pour in enough stock/broth to just come half-way up the chicken, taking care not to fully submerge the skin.
6) Cover with lid (or foil) and transfer to oven and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours.
7) When ready to serve, remove the lid or foil, switch the oven setting to the top-down heat (broil/grill) and cook for another 5 min, just to crisp up the skin for a nice texture and color.
Place the browned chicken on top of the onion mixture, and pour in enough stock to just come half-way up the chicken, taking care not to fully submerge the skin.
SERVING
Makes great finger-food for a party.
For a gluten-free meal, serve over a bed of shredded white cabbage, sautéed in sesame oil with red onions. Not worried about carbs? Go for noodles or rice…the sauce is simply too yummy not to have something to sop it up!
Recipe & Photo Credit: Cathy Menees
COOKS NOTES
TIMING
If you want to serve these as finger food, take care not to leave the chicken longer than 4 hours in the Wonderbag else the meat slides a bit too nicely off the bone, possibly leaving more on the serving platter than will make it to your guests mouths!
THE WONDERBAG isn’t just about soups and stews, or ‘wet food’, as someone once called it. By only submerging your chicken part way, leaving the skin exposed, you can let the Wonderbag do all the 'heaving lifting' in the flavor development and tenderizing space, then the pop the pan under the broiler (grill) in your oven just before serving to caramelize and crisp up the skin. The crispy, browned skin gives it that ‘oven-roasted’ punch, without the drying out that usually occurs in the oven. Best of both worlds!.
My go-to pan for braising in the Wonderbag is a round, 2½ quart (3 litre) Le Creuset, cast iron pan that measures 11 inches (30cm) in diameter, and almost 2.5 inches (6cm) deep (with a tight fitting lid of course). This is a perfect size to fit 4 whole chicken legs or 8 chicken thighs.
