Hot Wing Barbecue Chicken Drummies

Chicken lovers take note! This recipe is the best of both worlds – think hot wings meets barbecue chicken.  I like to be able to taste both the sweetness of the barbecue sauce and the heat of the hot sauce so I use a proportion of 3 to 1.  You can always adjust the recipe on how much heat your taste buds prefer.

Baking chicken is my go-to method of cooking for a busy weeknight supper.  If you have the extra time, these drummies would be delicious cooked on the grill. Either cooking method -  always add the sauce towards the end of the cooking time so that it doesn’t burn.

Enjoy!

Hot Wing Barbecue Chicken Drummies

12 chicken drumsticks (about 3 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 395 degrees.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and lightly coat with the olive oil. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce and hot sauce.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and spoon 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce mixture over the chicken. Toss to coat. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is caramelized, about 15 minutes.

In a small saucepan or microwave, warm the remaining 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce mixture. Pour the warm sauce over the cooked chicken. Serve warm.

Serves 4.

Reuben Sandwiches

Piled high with corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, and creamy Thousand Island dressing, this warm sandwich is just as tasty at home as at your local deli.

In fact, it may be even better!

This Thousand Island dressing comes from the kitchen of my friend Alison’s grandmother. It is hands down the best Thousand Island dressing I have ever had. You can’t even compare it to the bottled versions you find at the grocery.  I guarantee its worth the few extra minutes to make your own.

Enjoy!

Reuben Sandwiches

For the Thousand Island dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Dash of hot sauce (optional)

For the sandwiches:
8 slices rye bread
8 teaspoons unsalted butter
3/4 pound thinly sliced cooked corned beef
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 cup refrigerated sauerkraut, drained

To make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, and lemon juice until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Season with the hot sauce, if desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble the sandwiches: Evenly butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices, buttered side down, on a work surface. On each slice, spread 1 tablespoon of the Thousand Island dressing. Layer each sandwich with 1/4 of the corned beef, 1/4 cup of the sauerkraut, and 1 slice of the Swiss cheese. Top each sandwich with 1 of the remaining slices of bread, buttered side up.

Preheat a griddle (or a large skillet) over medium heat. Place the sandwiches on the warm griddle and cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using a flat spatula, carefully turn the sandwiches over. Cook until the second side is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Serve hot, with a side of extra Thousand Island dressing if desired.

Serves 4.

Cooking Tip: Cook the sandwiches slowly in order to allow the cheese to melt without burning the bread. If the outside is browning too quickly, reduce the heat, cover, and cook slowly until the cheese melts.

Do-Ahead: The Thousand Island dressing will last up to 4 days covered and refrigerated.

From Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler

Photo by the talented Natalie Root.

Jennifer Chandler’s third recipe book Simply Grilling (Simply Salads and Simply Suppers came earlier) is phenomenal!  Ranging from BBQ Chicken to Grilled Polenta Cakes with White Wine Mushrooms, there is something for everyone.  From simple to complex, east to west, there is no taste or continent that is not represented in some form.  Each recipe is given a two page spread – full-page picture on the left, recipe on the right.  After all, what is a recipe book without great pictures?

Before beginning the cooking, Ms. Chandler provides Grilling 101, a thorough, but concise, how-to on grilling basics.  What equipment is best?  How do I know if it is done?  Why does the chicken keep sticking to the grill?  Do I need to marinade?  What is a marinade?  And, for condo-dwellers and other grill-less folks, What if I don’t have a barbecue?  Her tips are practical and easily understood, because, if you are going to try the Cashew Noodle Salad with Miso-Ginger Tofu Skewers, you want to know how to do it right the first time. (And, yes, there are indoor grilling options included.)

The book doesn’t end with the main course, either.  There is a delectable section on desserts, though not all are grilled.  There is Grilled Pineapple with Rum Caramel Sauce, among others, if you want to get the whole meal done outside.

As part of each recipe, there are extra pieces of information to make your life easier: Cooking Tips, Do-Ahead (to reduce stress at dinnertime), Variations, Marinate, Suggested Sides (make a whole meal out of it!) and Grill Pan (indoor options).  A handy legend and colourful icons allow amateur cooks to plan ahead and add their own flair to each dish using these tips.  Once the cooking is done, there are instructions regarding the length of time food can be kept as leftovers (including sauces, marinades, etc.).

For someone who loves food, but doesn’t love all of the work involved with complex dishes, this book provides easy entry into both simple and complex meals.  Good pictures, simple instructions and straightforward tips really are the best way to sell a cook book.  I dare anyone to buy this book and not drool over each and every page as soon as you get it home.

I was given this book through BookSneeze in return for my honest review.