Midwest Chicken Drumsticks Recipes

MIDWESTERN FRIED CHICKEN WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl, and add the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the thyme, and 4 of the garlic cloves. Marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature or, refrigerated, overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and set a baking sheet fitted with a rack on the middle shelf.
• Meanwhile, prepare the chicken coating: Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, the ground crackers, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the paprika in a large bowl. One at a time, take the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and dunk them in the flour dredge, pressing hard to make the coating adhere to every spot. Set aside on a plate.
• In a large, high-sided cast-iron pan, add lard or oil to a depth of 1 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until a droplet of water sprinkled on the surface sizzles loudly.
• Give the chicken pieces a fresh roll in the flour mixture if they've absorbed it, and add as many pieces of the dark meat (thighs, wings, and drumsticks) as will fit comfortably in the pan. Fry, turning as needed, until all sides turn dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to the baking sheet in the oven. Continue frying the rest, saving the white breast meat until last, and being careful not to burn the residue forming at the bottom the pan; that's your gravy base. When it is browned, add the chicken to the baking sheet. (Ideally the dark meat should bake in the oven for about 20 minutes and the light meat for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.)
• Pour off most of the fat in the pan, leaving 2 tablespoons of oil and the brown sludge at the bottom of the pan. (But if any of it looks burnt, discard that as well, because that is the base of your gravy.) Let the pan cool down for a minute. Then add the remaining 3 garlic cloves and the sage, and fry for 1 minute. Add the remaining 5 teaspoons flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and light brown, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and whisk until smooth. Cook the gravy over low heat until it thickens softly, about 5 minutes.
• Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste, remove the garlic and sage, and pour it into a spouted pitcher to pass behind the hot chicken and the mashed potatoes.

BARBECUE CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

Steps:

• Make the chicken: Combine the brown sugar, chili powder, paprika and cumin in a small bowl. Season the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, then rub all over with the spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce: Whisk the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, orange juice, garlic, molasses, hoisin sauce, mustard and chili powder in a small saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. (You should have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups sauce.)
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat a grill to medium and oil the grates. Grill the chicken, covered and turning occasionally, until lightly charred and a thermometer inserted into a drumstick (without touching the bone) registers 170 degrees F, 35 to 45 minutes, brushing with some of the barbecue sauce during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a platter and brush with more barbecue sauce. Serve with the remaining sauce.

CAJUN CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Pat drumsticks with paper towels until dry.
• Combine baking powder, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, thyme, oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Add drumsticks and toss until fully coated. Place drumsticks into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until drumsticks are no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

SMOKED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

Steps:

• Remove drumsticks from packaging and place on a rack over a drip tray or baking sheet. Air dry in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat an electric smoker to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Add wood chips according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Brush drumsticks lightly with vegetable oil. Place drumsticks in a resealable plastic bag and sprinkle with the rub. Toss to coat evenly.
• Place drumsticks on the rack in the smoker. Smoke until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 2 hrs.