Coconut chicken drumsticks for Oscar night: Day 23

I wanted to find another recipe that would suit sitting in front of the TV Sunday night for my uber-exclusive, faux Oscar party (uber-exclusive because the select attendees must fill the prerequisite of living in this house). I needed something that was easy to make, could be partially prepared ahead of time, would look good and could be eaten as ‘finger food’. Did I mention I wanted it to taste like comfort food too? Afterall, chances are we’ll all be dressed up in our best sleepwear!

I really like dishes that need to be marinated overnight. It’s exciting to prepare it before bed and then spend the following day fantasizing about getting home then sticking it into the oven and prepping side dishes while it bakes. Although, I suppose my daydreaming is more about eating it than making it, but nevertheless it is nice to know, ahead of time, what we’re having for dinner.

I had never made drumsticks before but was all set to remove the skin with paper towel in hand. Pulling the skin off a drumstick reminded me of the days when I was a flight attendant—removing my compression stockings after a long day's work on a jetliner crossing the Atlantic. Removing compression hose is an art in and of itself: You start off peeling it downwards and as you get to the ankle area, it requires an extra tug, which sometimes results in a slingshot motion before they are successfully removed. Same with removing the skin from a chicken drumstick. There is a sense of accomplishment in both tasks: Freeing the legs from their casings.

The drumsticks looked tasty already in their marinade of chili flakes, cilantro and pineapple juice. I set them in the fridge and was excited to complete the next steps the following evening. Or, as it turned out, to phone my husband from work and ask him to start first since I would be getting home later and would be very hungry. I couldn’t imagine getting home, having to apply the coating, then wait for them to bake for 50 minutes. If my husband could do it when he got home, we’d get to eat a whole hour earlier. Yes, I was very hungry. Very hungry indeed.

I walked in the door and it smelled fantastic. I was sad to miss out on doing the coating myself but my husband said it was really easy. The drumsticks were very moist and the pineapple juice and coconut flavours melded beautifully. I did not taste any spiciness from the chili flakes so I’d be inclined to add more next time. And there will be a next time, the drumsticks were a hit! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers cold (I’m actually surprised that there are even leftovers). Another Oscar-worthy appetizer!