Chicken Picnic Drumsticks

Chicken drumsticks always take me back to parties from my childhood. This overnight version is perfect for adults and children alike and is a new favorite for picnics.

Chicken drumsticks are also super cheap: comparing kilo for kilo they're a quarter the price of chicken breasts meaning they're ideal for students and anyone looking to save.

This recipe uses mostly store cupboard items so is fairly easy to pull together last minute. I had been to a food festival in Leamington that day so I had some smoked garlic and beer & honey mustard to add in. Regular garlic and mustard would work fantastically too!

I mixed the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and then marinaded the meat in it's own packaging (anything to cut down on washing up!).

 I would recommend leaving the drumsticks overnight or for at least two hours to deepen the flavour. This is great as you can do all the prep the night before and you just have to cook them the following day.

You want the drumsticks to be cooked through and golden brown; the crispier the better!

These are so good you'll want to serve them right away, but they can be packed up for a picnic too. Just make sure you pack plenty of napkins!

RECIPE:
Makes 12 drumsticks (roughly 1kg)

Ingredients:
12 chicken drumsticks
300ml buttermilk
3 tbsps olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tbsps maple syrup
1 tsp chili flakes
1 generous tsp wholegrain mustard
Pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except the chicken drumsticks together in a large bowl. I added in a little more maple syrup at this point so have a taste and add in what you like.
Pour the marinade over the drumsticks and allow to chill in the fridge for as long as you can, but at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 220C.
Once you've finished marinating place the drumsticks on a baking sheet and bake for around 35-45 minutes. Cook the drumstick until crispy and delicious.

Serve with my Summer Slaw for an easy midweek dinner or a weekend picnic.

How long did you leave yours to marinade for? Let me know!