Barbecued Chicken Drumsticks in Soy and Honey Marinade (豉油蜜糖雞腿)

This marinade is a kind of "chuck it all together and hope for the best" concoction. I've been making it, or variations of it since 2000, when myself and my fellow committee members at ABACUS Cambridge, hosted a garden party catering for over 100 people. I remember being literally up to my elbows in chicken, soy sauce and garlic, whilst our secretary and treasurer washed 100 punnets of freshly picked strawberries in the sink in my room. Happy memories!

Although we did these drumsticks on the barbecue, I tend to be quite careful and pre-cook most meat in the oven before finishing them on the barbecue. There are a few remaining, and they will do nicely for dinner - pop them in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

Be generous with the marinade, and leave it to steep for as long as you can - overnight would be perfect.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken drumsticks (or wings)
• 3-4 tbsp runny honey
• Thumb-sized piece of raw ginger, peeled and grated finely
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced finely
• 4-5 big sploshes of Lea and Perrins Worcester Sauce
• 4-5 big sploshes of light soy sauce
• 2-3 good shakes of sesame oil
• A large pinch of ground white pepper

Serves 4

Instructions

• Wash the chicken drumsticks and pluck away any stray feathers
• Place the drumsticks in a large bowl and add the honey, grated ginger, garlic, Lea and Perrins, light soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper. Stir well to combine.
• Cover with clingfilm, refrigerate and marinade for as long as possible, but at least 1-2 hours. Turn every so often to ensure even coverage
• Roast in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. If you are finishing on a barbecue, then cook at 160 degrees for 25 minutes and blacken the skin on the barbecue. Make sure everything is cooked throughout before serving

Brabecued Chicken Drumsticks in Soy and Honey Marinade (豉油蜜糖雞腿)