Aromatic Peppercorn Chicken with Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce (gf)
These juicy, fragrant and intensely flavoured drumsticks are an easy option for popping on the barbecue. Don’t leave out the dipping sauce – it’s sweet, sour and hot combo adds another layer of deliciousness.
CHICKEN
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 teaspoons coriander seeds 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ cup chopped coriander roots and stems, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped leaves to serve, reserved
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
12 chicken drumsticks
HOT AND SWEET DIPPING SAUCE
1 cup cider vinegar 1 cup caster sugar 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1½ teaspoons chilli flakes 1 teaspoon sea salt
SALAD
1 telegraph cucumber 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
CHICKEN: Toast and grind all the whole spices. Blitz all the ingredients except the chicken in a food processor to make a thick paste. Scrape into a large bowl.
Slash the chicken a couple of times through the thickest part of each thigh. Toss in the paste, pressing it into the slashes. Marinate in the fridge for 2-24 hours.
DIPPING SAUCE: Place the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, then take off the heat and stir in the garlic, chilli and salt. Cool and store in the fridge for several days.
SALAD: Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Cut into 5cm lengths, then cut each piece into batons. Combine the vinegar, sugar and salt in a large bowl, add the cucumber and mix well. Toss through the peanuts just before serving.
TO COOK AND SERVE: Place the chicken on the barbecue flat plate over a medium heat. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
Place on a platter and scatter over the reserved coriander leaves. Serve with the dipping sauce and the cucumber salad. SERVES 4