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Chicken Lollipop (Crispy Frenched Drummettes in Schezwan Glaze)

Frenched chicken drummettes marinated in ginger-garlic, fried in a crisp cornflour batter, and tossed in a fiery schezwan glaze — the famous "drums of heaven" Indo-Chinese appetizer.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indo-Chinese
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Frenched Drummettes
  • 12 ​ chicken wing drummettes (about 1½ lbs / 700g) — not whole wings
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste ​
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce ​
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder ​
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 teaspoon salt ​
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice ​
For the Cornflour Batter
  • 1/2 cup cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ​
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder ​
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper ​
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt ​
  • 1/2 cup cold water approximately (add gradually)
  • ​ ​ Oil for deep frying
For the Schezwan Glaze
  • 1 tablespoon oil ​
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic ​
  • 3 tablespoons schezwan sauce (store-bought or homemade)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup ​
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce ​
  • 1 teaspoon sugar ​
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar ​
  • 2 tablespoons water ​
  • 2 ​ spring onions thinly sliced (greens + whites separated)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted (optional)

Method
 

  1. French the drummettes — cut a ring around the thin end of the bone, push the meat down with a paper-towel grip to form a lollipop, wrap the bone tip in foil.
  2. Marinate — rub ginger garlic paste, soy sauce, chili, pepper, salt, vinegar into the meat; rest 30 min (up to 4h refrigerated).
  3. Make the batter (cornflour, flour, spices, cold water to paint-like consistency) and heat oil to 350°F/175°C.
  4. Fry in batches 8–10 min until deep golden, internal 165°F/74°C; drain on a wire rack.
  5. Toss in schezwan glaze — sizzle garlic and spring onion whites, add schezwan sauce, ketchup, soy, sugar, vinegar, water; toss lollipops 1–2 min.
  6. Serve hot with spring onion greens and sesame seeds.