Finger food: drumsticks

You've heard that phrase, which I guess is supposed to mean "food you eat with your fingers." Well, as I've told you, I'm an uncouth eater. If I CAN eat it with my fingers, I do. For me, there is something rather satisfying about getting that "bit" that stays on the fork, and never makes it in your mouth, when you pick it up and eat it with your fingers. Of course, I can't ALWAYS do it. It's "not appropriate" to eat salad with your fingers, or to pick up a nice big chunk of mushroom and just swallow it down. And at some point we tell our kids they can't do it anymore, and there's this tension between wanting to be a "grown up" and not understanding why, yesterday, it was ok, and today it's not.

It moves over to food, too. For example, I don't think anyone could imagine eating a stuffed artichoke with anything but fingers. But what do you do when you get to the heart? I would just pick it up and eat it, but I'm told that's "uncouth." Now you have to use a knife and fork, cut it in small pieces and eat it that way. Okay. And I know people who would never eat a french fry with anything but a fork.

I jest NOT. These are the same people who cut pickle spears into pieces and use a fork. More power to them. I say : use your fingers when you can. It's more fun.

And these thoughts are engendered by my making a whole mess of chicken drumsticks for my boys in Guy's chorus. Some weeks ago I made meatballs, to go along the wonderful cakes Guy bakes and sells. The thought of "PROTEIN" was exhilirating to many, and 80 meatballs were gone, in a flash. Twenty servings. So, this week, I made chicken drumsticks.

To me, and to many people, drumsticks are the ultimate finger food. You pick it up and eat it. Well, etiquette books say that's not okay, you're supposed to use a knife and fork. Well... I've seen JULIA CHILD use her fingers, I've seen CRAIG CLAIRBORNE use his fingers, and countless other people who cook, who K NOW that the sauce on the chicken that sticks to your fingers is the best part of all. So, if you must, use a knife and fork. But for these, I want you to use your fingers I want you to get each drop.

Drumsticks are not the most flavorful part of the chicken. They need some help. So this is what I did. I had five pounds of them, which is aboug 20 pieces. First, I filled a bag with a cup of flour, and a big tablespoon of salt, mixed together. I "shook" the pieces in the flour, five or so at a time, and when they were coated, took them out and put them on a tray. I then squeezed a bunch of different kinds of citrus: blood oranges, grapefruit, navel oranges, cara caras, satsumas, and a lemon. The lemon was very important. The juice just didn't come to life without it. So mix and match your juices, but try to have at least one, nice size lemon juiced in the mix. I put that in a bowl with three tablespoons of a mild honey and an equal amount of mustard - dijon. Had I been making this for us, I would have added some spices, and if I had limes, I DEFINITELY would have added them to the juice.

Cover a big frying pan with oil - generously. I used vegetable, and then olive, when I ran out f the vegetable oil. I fried about six of them at a time, three minutes to a side, just until they picked up a nice brown color, and I drained them on paper towels. When I was done, I heated the oven to 350. Frying chicken for that short a length of time will not cook it.

I drained all of the oil out of the pan, and wiped it carefully, to get ride of the burned flour. Then, in thirds, I added the chicken with the orange mixture. The orange mixture thickens to a thick, sweet syrup. While this is happening, turn the chicken legs, over and over, until they're coated. You'll know when to stop. The liquid will be gone. Do repeat this until every drumstick is coated.

Now, get them in the oven, on a parchment lined baking sheet, for ten minutes at 350. After ten minutes, kick up the oven to 400 and turn the drumsticks, so the side that touched the parchment is now on top. And after ten minutes, you're done.

You'll have beautifully brown, tangy drumsticks. And after they're cool, you can run your finger along the parchment and eat with your fingers when no one is looking.

They're good. And you should take these instructions as guidelines and p lay with it. And tell me what you did, and how you turned out.

Boys, these are for you. Annalena's Monday evening kiss to all of ya.