BBQ Glory: Curried Honey & Lime Drumsticks With Minted Yogurt Dipping Sauce
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We do a lot of barbecuing in the summer. Almost every dinner in fact. It keeps the heat outside (and the mess!) Grilling can be quick, fast and almost effortless, as you do it more and more. Practice makes perfect, or so they say. Having a love for cooking is key, of course. In my quest to create simple (enough) weeknight meals, this flavour combo was a risk and in the end? I won. Totally delicious, or so the herd tell me. Even the toddlers approved, which is always a key component I consider when concocting a new recipe. Or altering a classic. There are lots of honey and lime drumstick recipes floating around the internets – but none laced with lots of curry. Amongst other delectable things. And the dipping sauce. Oh…the dipping sauce.
Im trying out a new printable recipe card feature for you my lovely readers, scroll to the bottom of the post for your grocery list and complete intructions. Please, do tell me how you like the new plugin!
What You’ll Need…
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Squeeze and then squeeze some more…
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Sprinkle the drumsticks with the pepper, salt, and paprika. Set aside.
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The hardest part was squeezing those limes for the marinade. Mix together the honey, grapeseed oil, lime juice and curry.
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Drizzle.
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Tuck in the sprigs of thyme. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, I’ve gotten in the habit of doing it the night before. Because yeah, we’ve had this a number of times now.
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Crack THIS. No seriously. Just try it. Not too sweet, absolute perfection. Preheat the grill to a medium flame.
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Begin grilling. Don’t leave those beauties for less than a couple of minutes, I kid you not. Or they’ll burn and that would be heartbreaking. Turn and de-glaze with the marinade every few minutes. Discard the marinade after about 10 minutes of turning and brushing. Toss some of those limes on the grill too! Take them off before they burn.
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Start testing the drumsticks with a meat thermometer after 20 minutes or so. Take no risks with the chicken my friends. Undercooked or overcooked is always bad news betty.
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Transfer them to the top rack to avoid any further blackening (ahem), for the last 10 minutes or so of cooking.
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Let sit for a few minutes while you whip up that minted yogurt dipping sauce. Which is ridiculously simple. Wash and de-stem the mint, add to a tall vessel with the yogurt and hand-blend until flecked with mint throughout.
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Dip and devour.
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Serve with a simple backyard greens, cukes and heirloom tomatos if you grow ’em, or your favourite mix of farmer’s market greens. Drizzle with some of that minted yogurt dipping sauce and add a bit of coconut water, honey and a sprinkle of poppy seeds. Toss to coat.
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Feed the ones you love, especially treat the ones you love whom you haven’t seen in a very, very long time.
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Since they were kids themselves in fact. The beauty on the left below? I used to babysit her! (GAWD I am old.) Her mom? Holy hot mama. The woman doesn’t age.
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- 3 lbs. drumsticks
- 2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 9 tablespoons honey
- 9 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- Juice of 6 limes, the zest too if you've the time
- 4 tablespoons mild curry powder (because we have the picky toddlers)
- 9 lush sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ pound fresh mint
- 2 cups greek yogurt
- Wash and dry the drumsticks. Arrange them in a large rectangular glass baking dish (I use a pyrex one), and sprinkle generously with the smoked paprika, kosher salt and ground pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, honey, curry powder and lime juice (and zest if you're bonny like that but totally not do-or-taste-die). Nothing fancy doing. Just toss it all in and whisk ardently.
- Drizzle that delicious marinade (and later grilling de-glaze) all over the drumsticks, tuck in those sprigs of fresh thyme, seal and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. At least. I do it before I go to bed for the next day.
- When it comes time for grilling, preheat your outdoor grill to a medium flame. treat those beauties like delicate newborns. Drumsticks can be tricky and burn easily. I turn them every few minutes, deglazing with the marinade often and pretty much standing over them while sipping on something crisp, cool and fine. Discard what's left of the marinade. Toss some of those limes on the grill too. YUMNESS. After about 15 minutes, as they really start to crisp up golden brown and blacken in spots, I move them to the top grill to ensure they are well and cooked all the way through but away from the flame. I start checking them with a meat thermometer at the 20 minute mark.
- Remove from the grill and arrange on a plate. Drumsticks aren't known to be a pretty looking cuisine. They're messy looking, hands on eating. I myself am still mastering less blackened spots. I think next time I'll try a layer of tinfoil for the first 10 minutes of cooking and then transfer them right to the grill.
- The dipping sauce is easy and comes together in a matter of minutes. You've got to let those drumsticks rest for a few minutes anyways, way to hot to eat right away! Wash and de-stem the mint, toss it into a tall vesel with the yogurt for a few vrooms of hand-blending. Serve in mini dipping bowls for each person. Save the rest in a mason jar for the leftovers, or as a salad dressing (add some honey and poppy-seeds to it!) to serve with the dinner like I did.
- Mange, Mange...ENJOY!
Until the next. XO
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