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Monday, April 2, 2012

Crispy Chicken Drumsticks & Wings

You know how I told you that Sundays are "my days".  As in, I don't like to plan things on Sundays because I'm busy finishing up the laundry, washing the dishes, cleaning various household messes, piddling about in the yard, double-checking backpacks...you get the drift.  Well.  I have a couple of exceptions to this rule.

The first exception -- school breaks or holidays that include the following Monday.  All bets are off.  Because Monday turns into Sunday, of course.  And the big one...the extra long holiday -- summer vacation.  I get lost in a haze of sunny days and often don't know if it's Sunday or Thursday.

Okay, this is a total exaggeration.  Scheduling posts keeps me on "real time".  Not to mention the three...seriously three...calendars that I have in the kitchen alone.  But you know, "my time" Sundays get put on hold during these periods of time.  And since it's Spring Break for the kiddos this week, I was able to exercise my rite to throw the rituals aside and not do a lick of laundry yesterday.  Instead, the kids and I hopped in the car and took a little road trip up to my mom's house.  It was extra special because my youngest sister and my four nephews recently moved back to Michigan from Texas and this was the first time we've seen them since they've been back!  Can you imagine having 4 kids aged 3 and under?  YIKES!  I don't know how she does it.
So the cousins had a great time running amok at Nana's.  Since her house is made for running amok.  That's her in the midst of a houseful of grandkids.  Minus a few since my other sister was not over with my other nephew and niece.  And yes, my youngest child always makes crazy, nostril-flaring, cross-eyed camera poses.  ALWAYS.  Sigh...

What does one feed a house full of hungry kids and adults?  Well, since we popped in unannounced (is that fun or cruel?), my sis ran out to grab some more chicken to add to some that were already marinating happily in the fridge.  In a marinade that was both beautiful to look at and beautiful to smell.  I wish I'd thought to whip out the camera and take a shot of it.  Oh well.

So once dinner time rolled around, we added an extra-large 100-count Old World Pepperoni Happy's Pizza to the mix along with a salad that included strawberries, avocado, and pecans...and we got busy filling our bellies with good food.
This is the chicken that my sis fried up. The original recipe was for drumsticks alone, but she added wing-dings to the mix...which are perfect for tiny hands and mouths.  And just plain fun for regular-sized hands and mouths.  It's perfectly crispy on the outside and incredibly flavorful and juicy on the inside.  Try it.  It'll please a crowd.  I know.  From experience.

Crispy Chicken Drumsticks & Wings

by Heather Schmitt-GonzƔlez
Prep Time: 4 hours or up to overnight
Cook Time: 8-15 minutes
Keywords: fry entree chicken American
Ingredients (serves 8)
  • canola or vegetable oil, for frying
  • 3 lb. chicken drumsticks
  • 3 lb. chicken wings, tips removed and cut into wing-dings
marinade:
  • 3 Tbs. minced garlic
  • ½ c. white wine vinegar
  • 1 c. spicy whole-grain mustard
  • ½ c. chopped rosemary leaves
  • 1 c. olive oil
  • 3 Tbs. sea salt
  • 2 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper
to finish:
  • ~4 c. all-purpose flour
Instructions
Add all of marinade ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until emulsified.

Place chicken in a large resealable bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Close the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken pieces until well coated. Place in fridge for 4 hours to overnight.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to ~375° F. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Put the flour in a shallow dish. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess.

Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown, ~7-8 minutes. Remove the drumsticks from the fryer and arrange them on a sheet tray. Put them in the oven until cooked through, ~6-8 minutes longer or until everything has reached 165° F.
adapted from Aaron McCargo Jr.
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The proof is in the pudding.  And now to plan our next family get together when there will be more kids and adults from even more generations of the fam.  A holiday weekend is approaching!  What's on your Easter menu?

Would you like to comment?

  1. Yikes, what a Sunday, and what an adorable family!

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  2. I'm overwhelmed just thinking about it, but boy are these the cutest kids?? What a lovely family!! Guess it's all worth it. =) Like that chicken!

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  3. Mmm-mmmm! Now that looks finger-lickin' good!  

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  4. That's awesome your sister and her kids moved back. It's so nice to have family close by. Especially someone who can make delicious fried chicken.

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  5. Oh my goodness what cuties!!! It's so nice to have your family together like that. This chicken looks perfect - I can definitely see it being a crowd pleaser!

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  6. Que crujiente y rico se ven.

    Saludos

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  7. I love it when Sundays get to be Saturdays again and then Mondays can be Sundays. it's the best. Sounds like you had a delicious weekend!

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  8. They do look so crunchy and inviting...

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  9. Those look like fried chicken perfection! Don't eat fried chicken very often, but when I do it has to be superb and worth digressing from our normal diet. Your recipe is a keeper--and I will be pulling it out the next time we indulge. 

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  10. Beautiful familia! We must be on the same wave length! I'm posting a chicken wings recipe soon. LOVE the finger lickin' photos. Adorable!!!

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  11. crispy n crunchy..

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  12. First of all, GREAT pictures of the kids ESPECIALLY the flared nostrils and crossed eyes, priceless.

    Love the crispy crunchy chicken.  I need to fry some wings and drummies, I always get stuck on fire roasting them which is good, but sometimes you need that crunch!

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  13. These are the best days...families, KIDS and food... the kiddos are super adorable, thanks for including all the wondeful pics!! super cute post heather!!

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  14. I like the idea of keeping a day for yourself - and I actually attempt to do this on most weekends by scheduling as much as I can in advance, but I seem to still get sucked in ;) The chicken looks so crispy - I'm just going to sit and salivate since I'm hungry & am trapped in a car w/o food ;)

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  15. It looks like a fun day and a fabulous dinner. So great to have your sister closer to home again. I miss mine!
    ;-)

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