Sticky Pomegranate Chicken Drumsticks

Recipe & images courtesy of Alana Lowes.

with Rice Pilaf & Spiced Chickpeas

Light, bright and delicious. Don’t be put off by the long ingredient list for the rice pilaf, most are items you’ll already have in your pantry & if not, they can be swapped or left out entirely. Don’t have vege stock? Chicken stock or even water will work.

*Our friends at Rosalie Gourmet Market have a great range of spices plus also the trickier to find ingredients like pomegranate molasses & fresh pomegranate

Serves: 4 people | Prep Time: 15-20 mins | Cook Time: 1-1.5 hours

INGREDIENTS:

Sticky Pomegranate Chicken Drumsticks
8 chicken drumsticks
¼ cup pomegranate molasses*
2 tbps olive oil
1 tbsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt flakes
cracked black pepper

Rice Pilaf
2 cups basmati rice
100g ghee or butter
2 golden shallot onions (or 1 medium onion) finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp cardamom seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
8 peppercorns whole, lightly crushed
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt flakes
3 bay leaves
4 cups vegetable stock
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup raisins
½ cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
½ cup fresh coriander

Spiced Chickpeas
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground chilli
½ tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

To Serve
natural yoghurt, fresh lemon wedges + seeds of 1 small pomegranate*

CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS - FREE RANGE $6.99 – $13.99

CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS - FREE RANGE $6.99 – $13.99

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced.

To start the rice pilaf, place the rice in a fine sieve and wash under cold water until the rice runs clear. Place the rice into a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 15-20 mins to soak. Drain and rinse again.

To make the sticky pomegranate drumsticks, mix together the pomegranate molasses, olive oil, dried thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl and add the drumsticks. Mix to coat and set aside to marinate for 5-10 mins.

Place the drumsticks on a roasting tray and place into the hot oven for 25-30mins or until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat, add the onions and garlic. Cook until softened, approx 2-3 mins. Add the cardamom, cumin seeds, peppercorns, ground turmeric, ground cumin, salt and bay leaves. Cook for a further 1-2 mins.

Stir in the drained rice and cook, stirring continuously, for 2-3 mins until the rice is completely coated with the ghee. Slowly pour in the stock, stirring constantly, then bring slowly to the boil. Cook over a medium heat for 5-8 mins or until almost all the stock is absorbed and little holes begin to appear on the surface of the rice. Cover and turn the heat to very low and cook for a further 15-20mins or until the rice is cooked through.

Remove the lid and leave to stand for 5 mins to allow the steam to escape. Gently stir through the almonds, raisins, dried apricots and fresh coriander.

To make the spiced chickpeas, heat the oil in a small fry pan, add the chickpeas and the ground chilli and cook until the chickpeas are heated through.

Serve the rice pilaf with the sticky drumsticks and fresh lemon and top with the pomegranate seeds and the spiced chickpeas.

2. Recipes & Cooking Tips, Alana Lowes recipes, Poultry Recipes

STICKY POMEGRANATE CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS