Poultry is a staple of Hyrule. Many of the recipes across the kingdom make use of various cuts of poultry meat as a centerpiece. As new crops are cultivated and also discovered in the wild, new dishes make their way into the Hyrulean kitchens. New cooking methods are also being employed in the cooking pots. One such method is deep frying.
With the the production of cooking oil now growing in Hyrule, frying is becoming more popular. One particular new recipe created through frying is the deep fried drumstick. Seasoned raw bird drumsticks are fried in oil in a cooking pot until golden brown and flavorful. It’s a simple and delicious new way to cook poultry in the kingdom.
"A drumstick fried in high-quality oil. It's full of out-of-this-world flavor."
This is actually a really easy dish to make, but it does take a bit of time. To add flavor to the chicken, we will be making a simple brine to soak the chicken drumsticks in for at least a few hours. After brining, they will be patted dry and then fried in oil until golden brown. We’ll sprinkle a little furikake over them, and then they will be ready to serve and eat. Simple and delicious! This would be the perfect meal to eat sitting by the cooking pot at camp out in the wilds of Hyrule.
Ingredients
8-12 chicken drumsticks
8 cups water
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cloves
2 bay leaves
5-7 sprigs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
½ onion, sliced
Vegetable oil
Nori Furikake
8-12 chicken drumsticks
8 cups water
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cloves
2 bay leaves
5-7 sprigs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
½ onion, sliced
Vegetable oil
Nori Furikake
First we will make the brine that will flavor the chicken drumsticks. The drumstick will need to brine for at least 4 hours, so be sure to plan ahead and provide ample time. You can opt to brine the drumsticks overnight, but a few hours will get the job done. Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the water, kosher salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, garlic, and onion. Allow the pot to come to a boil. Allow it to boil for 5 minutes, ensuring the salt and sugar have completely dissolved. After five minutes, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. This will take about an hour.
Submerge the chicken drumsticks into the cooled brine. Ensure the chicken drumsticks are fully submerged in the brine. Allow chicken legs to brine for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Again, you can brine the drumsticks overnight if you so choose.
When you are ready to fry the chicken, remove the drumsticks from the brine. Pat each drumstick dry with paper towels. You can also opt to rinse each drumstick under cold water to rinse off any excess salt on the skin before patting them dry.
Place a pot over medium-high heat. You can also use a deep fryer if you have one available at home. Fill the pot with enough vegetable oil to cover the chicken drumsticks, ensuring they will be submerged in the oil. Allow the oil to heat until it comes to a temperature of 375°F.
Once the oil comes to temperature, submerge the chicken drumsticks in the hot oil in batches. Try to maintain the temperature of 375°F as much as possible. Fry the chicken drumsticks in the oil for 12-15 minutes per batch until the chicken is cooked through, turning them over halfway through the frying process. The chicken is done when the drumsticks reach an internal temperature of 165°F and they are a nice golden brown color on the outside. Repeat this with each batch until the drumsticks are all fried.
When each batch of chicken drumsticks is done frying, place the drumsticks on a wire rack or a tray lined with paper towels to drain and cool.
When each batch of chicken drumsticks is done frying, place the drumsticks on a wire rack or a tray lined with paper towels to drain and cool.
Additionally, depending on how many batches you need to fry, you can keep the chicken warm on a tray in a 200°F oven until all of the chicken has been fried.
The chicken drumsticks are delicious as-is; the brine soaks in plenty of flavor. To match the in-game photo, though, sprinkle some nori furikake on each drumstick before serving. Grab a drumstick, sink your teeth in, and enjoy!