Thai Spiced Baked Chicken Lollipops

by Prapapan Samarnkun

I crave more spices and herbs during cold weather. They have tons of benefits for your body, especially for the immune system you need to strengthen during the cold-flu season. I make lots of curries and spiced dishes. The challenge is I have to come up with food that my 7 and 10 year-old children will enjoy as well. These chicken lollipops are great for both adults and kids. They smell and taste amazing and are fun to eat. You can serve them as finger food, or with a cucumber salad or cooked rice (as we do.)

(My children have been introduced to spices earlier, starting from mild and now they eat curries.)

Some fresh herbs and spices can be hard to find in the U.S. so please feel free to substitute with dried or powders.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus 30 minutes, or up to overnight marinating time)
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients
20 chicken drumettes (about 2-2.5 pounds), patted dry
Marinade:
1 tablespoon lemongrass, white part only, thinly sliced (or 1/2 tablespoon dried lemongrass, or 1 teaspoon lemongrass powder)
1/2 tablespoon garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder (Original recipe calls for coriander roots which are hard to find in the U.S. grocery so I always use the powder. Some use coriander stems but they do not taste the same.)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (or 1/2 teaspoon sliced fresh turmeric if available)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon thin soy sauce, Dragonfly brand, or 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for brushing (helps the skin get crispy and golden brown)

Some aluminum foil for wrapping the handles/bone ends

Directions

Prepare the chicken: With a paring knife, cut around the thin tip of each chicken drumette to loosen the meat around the joint. While holding the base, push the meat down to expose the bone and form a “chicken lollipop.” Remove any flesh left on the thin end with a clean towel. Put them in a large bowl.
Marinate the chicken: Combine all the marinade ingredients in a food processor and puree them until fine. Pour the mixture over the chicken, making sure to coat them all well with the marinade. Keep them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight (for deeper flavor.)
Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken lollipops on a baking sheet pan with a cooling rack (line the bottom with foil for an easy clean-up.) Brush them with the vegetable oil. Roast until crispy and golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes depending on the size of the drumettes.
Serve: Wrap each handle with aluminum foil for easy serving and eating. Serve with sweet chili dipping sauce, or Sriracha .

Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce

Notes:

You may choose to deep fry the chicken lollipops: Fry them in batches in medium heat (325 degrees F) until crispy and golden brown, about 7-8 minutes, depending on the size of the drumettes. Allow the oil to come back up to the temperature in between batches. Drain on a paper towel.
We serve them as a main dish with cooked rice. They are placed over thinly sliced green cabbage to keep them crispy and warm. We also eat the cabbage as salad with the sweet chili sauce as dressing!

A Taste of Thai and More!