Sweet and Sticky Asian Drumsticks

It was our first dinner party in our new home. We greeted our friends with some wine and a fragrant household from the drumsticks that had been marinating all day and were now baking slowly in a sweet-sticky sauce.  This was the first time we had made this recipe, and it smelled heavenly.

We set the table with our sushi plate sets and chopstick rests shaped like little ceramic fish. These drumsticks were so amazing that we sucked all the sauce off our fingers, not wanting to waste a drop. Plain white rice soaked up the juices, and we also served Asian Cellophane salad.

We finished our wine and green tea on the balcony that my girlfriend has dubbed "The Treetop Terrace." The sun went down over the lake in glittering flakes of vermilion. It was the perfect housewarming for our Treehouse.

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it uses just a few ingredients, and if you marinate it in the baking dish, you reduce the number of things to wash and can just pop it in the oven when you're ready. I would recommend marinating the meat for at least 4 hours, but you could start the marinade a day before and cook it the next day.

Note: after the last time we made this, Joe told me that he was adding a tablespoon of chili-garlic paste to the sauce. I've updated the recipe.

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken drumsticks or wings
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce (we like Mae Ploy brand)
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp hot chili-garlic paste, or Sriracha sauce

Directions

If you are using chicken wings, cut them apart at the center joint where the wing forms a 'v'. Place the meat into a baking dish.

Whisk together all of the other ingredients and pour it over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour - or you can make this a day ahead and let it marinate overnight).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil, then put the drumsticks in the dish. Place the baking dish in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, turning the meat over occasionally. Continue cooking until the meat is done and the sauce is thick and syrupy.

Serve with rice and salad or veggies.

Serves 4.