Oven-fried Chicken Drumsticks
Brining the chicken drumsticks for a few hours before baking ensures that the meat is tender and moist, while the skin crisps in the oven. Pack them away for picnics, or serve with cheesy mashed potatoes, gravy and buttered vegetables.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Brine
- 3 tablespoons fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 12 chicken drumsticks
- 1 dried guajillo chile pepper or other dried pepper
For the Breading
- 1 cup all-purpose einkorn flour
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Whisk 3 tablespoons sea salt and honey with about 2 quarts warm water to create a brine. Place chicken drumsticks into a large mixing bowl, cover with brine, and drop in a guajillo chile pepper. Cover, and transfer to the refrigerator where the chicken drumsticks should marinate for 4 hours. Drain off the brine, discard the chile, and pat the drumsticks dry.
- Heat the oven to 350 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour with salt, nutritional yeast, thyme and cayenne pepper. Dredge the chicken drumsticks in the seasoned flour until well-coated, then arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutesr, turning once, then increase the oven temperature to 425 and continue baking a further 15 minutes.
