17 Jul chicken drumsticks with burnt lemon

My burnt lemon drumsticks are speckled with the jewels of pomegranate seeds. Though this recipe is to be cooked on a regular oven and hob, the recipe would translate well to being cooked on a BBQ grill if you want to take your speedy supper all the way outside.

Chicken Drumsticks with Burnt Lemon and Honey

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 – 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks

1 whole lemon

4 tablespoons of honey

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 sprig of rosemary

Juice of half a lemon

1 bulb of garlic, sliced in half

1 lemon

2 heaped tablespoons of natural yogurt

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of pomegranate seeds

1 tablespoon of freshly chopped mint

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan / Gas Mark 6. Put the chicken in a baking tray. Slice the whole lemon into round slices of about 2cm thick. Place flat on the baking tray, around the chicken. Cover with the honey, cumin, rosemary, juice of half a lemon and the sliced bulb of garlic. Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

2. Put the natural yogurt in a bowl and finely grate in the garlic. Top with a few seeds of pomegranate and set aside.

3. Once the chicken drumsticks are cooked through, arrange the drumsticks and the slices of burnt lemon on a large serving platter. Scatter with pomegranate seeds and freshly chopped mint and serve the garlic yogurt sauce on the side.

Storecupboard Essential

Lemons: I always have about 6 lemons in my kitchen table fruit bowl at any given time. Whether it’s to stuff into roast chicken, zest into a cake or squeeze into a cool glass of lemonade, a handful of lemons are an endlessly useful kitchen sidekick to have.

This recipe first appeared in The Irish Independent on July 16th