Chicken Lollipops With Tomato-Chili Sauce

Crispy chicken lollipops are a delicious and fun appetizer. The chicken drumettes are marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, sage and garlic. After the drumettes are marinated, they are coated with a crispy bread crumb crust, cooked and served with a delicious homemade tomato and chili sauce.

The recipe:

www.vespresso.cooking/chicken-lollipops

Crispy chicken lollipos (6 servings)

• 12 drumettes
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp milk
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

for the marinade:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• juice and zest from half a lemon
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves
• 7 sage leaves
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Tomato and chili sauce (for 6 servings):

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion (chopped)
• ½ small carrot (grated)
• ½ celery stalk (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 chili (chopped)
• 30ml dry red wine
• 1 chopped tomato tin (400g)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (chopped)
• ½ tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Grab the thin part and cut the skin and the ligaments surrounding the bone.

Scrape the bone with a vegetable knife and pull the meat up, towards the thick end. Carefully pull the meat over the fat to create a sphere (picture).

Mix the olive oil with lemon juice and lemon zest, brown sugar, garlic, sage, salt and pepper.

Place the drumettes in the marinade bowl and toss to cover. Place them in a zip-lock bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Remove them from the refrigerator and take 3 bowls; place the flour in the first bowl, the bread crumbs in the second bowl and the egg, milk, salt and pepper in the third.

Roll the drumettes in the flour, dip them in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs.

Deep-fry them at 340°F/170°C for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown.

Carefully remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add chopped onion, carrot, celery and chili to the pot. Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).

Add minced garlic, bay leaf and thyme and cook for 1 minute.Add wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

Add tomatoes and cook uncovered, on low heat for 30-40 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated.

Discard bay leaf, add sugar, salt and pepper.

Puree the sauce using a blender until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warm with crispy chicken lollipops.