Sticky chicken tulips, prunes, smoked bacon, toasted pecans, star anise
Serves 4 as an appetiser
INGREDIENTS
• 16 chicken wing ‘drumsticks’, ordered from
your butcher
• 600ml chicken stock
• 8 star anise
• 2.5cm cinnamon stick
• 50g pitted prunes
• 40g pecans
• 1 tbsp honey
• 4 smoked pancetta rashers, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 80ml Madeira
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
• salt
To prepare the chicken tulips, using the heel of a heavy cook’s knife, assertively chop the small knuckle off the end of each wing drumstick to reveal the bone. Pull back the flesh from the drumsticks, turning it inside out to reveal the bone in its entirety. Place the chicken tulips into a small saucepan and cover with the stock.
Add the star anise and cinnamon and season well with salt. Over a medium heat, bring to the boil, skimming off any impurities that collect on the surface with a ladle. Once it is boiling, drop in the prunes and remove from the heat. Allow to cool and infuse for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170°C. Place the pecans on a small oven tray and toast for 5 minutes or so. Remove the tray from the oven, drizzle over the honey and mix, coating the nuts in the honey, then return to the oven for a final 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven, mix them again, then allow to cool.
Once the stock has cooled, strain the chicken through a sieve over a bowl to collect the cooking liquor. Remove and discard the star anise and cinnamon: they have done their job. Place the chicken tulips on kitchen paper to dry. Chop the softened prunes very finely to create a paste. To finish the chicken, preheat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the chicken tulips and pancetta in the groundnut oil until the pancetta is crispy.
Deglaze the pan with the Madeira and add the brown sugar and prune paste. Toss the tulips in the pan to coat, then pour in 150ml of the reserved stock. Stirring regularly, reduce the stock to a sticky caramelised glaze, with a consistency that coats the chicken. Place the tulips on a serving platter and coat with the glaze. Roughly chop the honey-roasted pecans and sprinkle them over the top. Serve with a finger bowl and plenty of napkins.