This was one of those happy accident recipes, that I wasn’t expecting much from, but was happily surprised with the result.  I had roasted vegetables planned for dinner, and I figured that the men in my life (picky husband and the child with strange tastes) would rebel if there wasn’t also some meat on the table.  I had these drumsticks (from the “Chicken on a Budget” post) and I needed to do something with them.  The inspiration was  ‘giant Asian chicken wings’… I love Asian barbecue flavored wings, why not a giant drumstick version!?  I’m usually not a fan of dark meat, but these were truly delish.

Though these drumsticks take a little time to marinate first, and a little time to bake, the actual time spent preparing them is trivial.
I marinated them when I brought the chicken home, and stuck them in the fridge for a day or so until baking.

Ingredients:

• 5 chicken legs – skinned
• Marinade (below)
• Hoisin Sauce

To make the marinade:
(all measures are approximate – marinades tend to be something I guess at)

• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1/4 c lime juice
• 1/4 c seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (jarred stuff is fine for this)
• 1-2 Tbsps honey, brown sugar, or molasses
• 1 Tsp Five Spice Seasoning
• 1 Tsp ginger (grated fresh or powdered)
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• (chili sauce would have been good in this too..be creative!)

Combine the above, and stir well. Place skinned chicken pieces in a large zip top bag*, and cover with marinade.
Place bag in a larger container (to ensure no drippage) and place in fridge overnight.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken:

• Preheat oven to 425F. (I did 400F with the Convection Roast on)
• Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray, or line with foil.
• Remove chicken from bag and place in dish.
• Make 2-3 deep cuts in each piece of chicken using a sharp knife.
• Use a pastry brush to brush on a think coating of Hoisin Sauce, and place in oven for 30 minute or so, uncovered.
• Brush on additional sauce, and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and falls off the bone easily.
• You can use a thermometer to check for doneness (Mine was 170F internal temp).

I used this recipe as a guide for how long to cook the chicken and the temperature

*Using a ziptop bag for the marinade will give you a large amount of coverage, for a small amount of marinade. You can of course use a non-disposable vessel, but you may need more marinade or to turn the chicken several times to ensure it’s thoroughly marinated.

The chicken actually turned out better than the roast vegetables (not that there was anything wrong with the veggies, they just weren’t my favorite types… but that’s a post for another day!) and was much loved by both picky husband and child!

[originally published 3/2010]