African Drumsticks

Today's recipe doesn't come directly from the African kitchen, but that doesn't make it any less delicious. Famous British chef Nigella Lawson gives a global twist to much of her delicious cuisine and this recipe is no different. The drumstick recipe comes from a South African friend of hers and Nigella modified it to suit her tastes. I've added some additional options based on my experience cooking similar South African dishes as well. There would have been a photograph of the chicken to accompany the recipe, but we ate it all before the camera came out. Oops!

African Drumsticks

Adapted from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4-8 depending on age and appetite

80ml Worcestershitre sauce

4 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tsp English mustard powder, or to taste

1 tsp ground ginger

1-2 tbsp apricot jam, depending on your preference for sweetness (or chutney is also excellent here - not only apricot, but any fruity chutney)

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

8 chicken drumsticks, preferably organic (can substitute bone-in, skin-on thighs or a mixture of the two)

1 tbsp garlic oil (olive oil is also fine)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius. Mix the Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup, mustard powder, ground ginger, apricot jam and chopped ionion in a shalow dish.

Dunk the drumsticks in the marinade to coat them all over. (If it helps, you could at this stage leave them to marinate, covered, in the fridge overnight.) Put the oil into a smallish roasting tin or ovenproof dish, in which the drumsticks will fit snugly, and tip the tin about so that the oil more or less covers the base. Arrange the drumsticks in the tin and pour over them any remaining marinade.

Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting once or twice: (no worries if you forget!) the deeper the dish, the longer the drumsticks will take to colour and cook through.

Serve with a spiced cous-cous sprinkled with almonds or toasted pine nuts and lots of cilantro.