French in a Flash: Lavender-Apricot Chicken Drumsticks
"Think of these drumsticks as a savory-sweet Provençal version of the sticky chicken wings you nibble at the bar."
Fall is the new year of the fashion world, so this week's recipe will have a little something to do with trends. Thumbing through my stack of French culinary magazines, I discovered a delicious one: apricots and lavender. These Lavender-Apricot Chicken Drumsticks have three great things going for them: they are easy, cheap, and colorful (the peachy-orange of the apricots and muted violet of the lavender).
Lavender and apricot is a popular Provençal pairing. But the most interesting thing I learned when in Provence this summer: Provençals hardly ever eat lavender. When I visited an Herbes de Provence farm in Lourmarin, the owner guided us through bushes of thyme and rosemary towards the lavender. I asked what she puts in her special HdP blend. She rattled off a list, including summer savory and the aforementioned thyme and rosemary.
"What about lavender?" I asked. She turned to me, startled. "You mean, in the food?" she gasped. Apparently, lavender is a culinary trend that we have only appropriated from Provence (although, as I said, I often see it, gleaming and glossy, in French culinary magazines). For the Provençals, it remains exclusively in the realm of soap.
Think of these drumsticks as a savory-sweet Provençal version of sticky chicken wings you nibble at the bar. You can certainly follow the same recipe for drummettes or wings, and feel free to substitute the lavender for fresh rosemary for an equally authentic and interesting Provençal dinner. With some crispy rosemary roasted potatoes, the dish is even more fashionable.
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way. She also writes the The Secret Ingredient series for Serious Eats.
Lavender-Apricot Chicken Drumsticks
- serves 4 to 6 -
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 10 drumsticks)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon boiling water
Dried edible lavender blossoms
Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Toss the chicken with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. If you were using rosemary instead of lavender, I would chop it and toss it with the chicken at this point. Place a Silpat (or foil or parchment) over a baking sheet with a lip, and lay the chicken out on the baking sheet, making sure it is well spread out. Roast for 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes, the chicken should be golden. If it needs help, broil the drumsticks for a few minutes to get the skin crisp and golden.
4. Meanwhile, in a mini food processor, whiz together the apricot preserves and the tablespoon of boiling water, to loosen the glaze, and break up any large bits of fruit in the preserves.
5. After 30 minutes, if you have not already turned on your broiler, do so. Brush the chicken with half the apricot glaze, and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until the glaze starts to bubble and turn golden brown. Then, turn the chicken over, glaze the other side, and broil until that side is bubbly and golden.
6. Remove the chicken from the oven, and pile the legs up on a platter. Sprinkle with lavender to taste.
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10 Comments:
After seeing this post, I knew exactly what I had to make for dinner tonight. I went to the market to get all my ingredients... lavender... apricot preserves... but where were the drumsticks?!?! I ended up getting the last package--it was hiding underneath a stack of thighs... but I was on a mission.
Kerry, your posts are always entertaining, and your food always looks/sounds lovely. This was my first foray into your culinary world, and mon dieu... I am in your debt.
To any curious eaters out there, this recipe was just as easy as it looks and the result was far more delicious than even I imagined.
plaurel at 11:59PM on 10/08/09
I have been looking for a way to incorporate lavender into a dish without using a herbs du Provence blend--thank you for this! It really looks delightful and perfect for fall.
ElizabethS at 10:51AM on 10/09/09
@kerry: LOVE IT! thx
This gets my creative juices flowing :)
I could do this without lavender right?
Do you think I could use any type of preserve?
hungrychristel at 1:32PM on 10/09/09
Thank you, plaurel and ElizabethS!
And hungrychristel: Thanks! You could definitely do this with a little bit of fresh rosemary instead of lavender, or maybe some fresh thyme, or just some good black pepper. And, another way I like to do it is with currant jam. I think, just avoid the really sweet jams--anything that you can see going sweet or savory would be fine. Marmalade could be terrific. But I'm not sure about, say, a blueberry preserve. Let us know what you try!
Kerry Saretsky at 1:39PM on 10/09/09
Excellent Kerry: can't wait! I have this home-made rubarb(?) preserve from my neighbour at home I've been dying to use in a savoury application
I plan to use drumsticks and thighs - so excited now.
I'll try and follow-up and let you know!
hungrychristel at 2:03PM on 10/09/09
Great! I can't wait to hear how it turned out. That will be so interesting!
Kerry Saretsky at 3:04PM on 10/09/09
I tried cooking with lavender when I was testing recipes for a certain popular french food blogger, and bought them at a local health food store.
If memory serves the recipe included stone fruit and a syrup with lavender. My boyfriend had one bite and said 'this tastes like soap. my grandmother's soap'. That was the end of cooking with lavender for us.
tatianak at 3:46PM on 10/09/09
I only make one recipe with lavendar and its biscotti with honey lemon and lavendar and it smells lovely (like tea or really good soap). I think this could be made with some apricot puree and brandy or vermouth and actually cooked down to a thick glaze.
I am really disappointed that people are afraid to make sauces anymore.
It is not hard to cook down fruit.
JerzeeTomato at 6:56AM on 10/12/09
followup@kerry et al: The rubarb (sp?) preserve was unsweetened so I added honey to the glaze mixture. Twas devine!
I also included some port I had in the cubpard--it made the glazes' colour quite nice. I almost wish it would have had less of a 'runny' texture. Perhaps I could have thickened it with something else? This could have been a personal preference for me but it still tasted PHENOMENAL
I used some fresh thyme from Papa's garden (I'm on an anti-rosemary kick lately: don't ask why) and lots of fresh cracked pepper. I garnished with some grey salt too (did I waste it? LOL)
So yes! Thanks again for the inspiration :)
hungrychristel at 11:32AM on 10/16/09
I've been planning to make this since it was posted, and I finally got around to it tonight. I made it (mostly) as written; it was amazing! I cooked my drumsticks the same way Alton Brown cooks his chicken wings; steam them first to remove fat, then bake till crispy. I also put the lavender in the glaze along with a dash of soy sauce for salt and depth. They were crispy, sweet, slightly charred, and with just the right amount of lavender. Went perfectly with rosemary-spiked roasted root vegetables (sweet potatoes, rutabagas, and beets).
phoebus15 at 12:04AM on 10/18/09