Unbelievably Easy Nam Yue Roast Chicken Drumsticks

NOTEFLASH :  This post was updated on 9 June 2013 with photos and cooking instructions using AMC hotplate.  The AMC hotplate made cooking for this dish even faster and healthier.  Read on to find out how. 

Now that we are "well nourished" from the previous "nourishing" posts (pun well-intended!), it's time to get back to some true blue, fuss free recipes.  In fact, today's recipe has no more than 3 ingredients. 

Yes, you read it correctly.  Only THREE ingredients.  As the saying goes, less is more, baebeh!



I discovered this recipe quite by accident some time ago, when I was in an "experimental" mood.  I had bought some chicken drumsticks from the supermarket without having any idea how to cook it.  Back home, as per Murphy's Law, the recipe I eventually wanted to try - I didn't have the ingredients.  But i had this half empty bottle of nam yue, which had been sitting in a lonely corner in the fridge for far too long.  Ah well, what better time than now for a "marriage of convenience".  And that's how Drumsticks and Nam Yue got married.

On hindsight, I don't know why it took me THIS long to try this recipe (think Braised Pork with Nam Yue and Black Fungus).  It is unbelievably easy, yet incredibly tasty (hey, that's a new *cheesy* tagline - Unbelievably Easy, Incredibly Tasty!). 

When I took that first bite into the juicy drumstick, I almost smack myself on the forehead.  It was SO good.  I promise you this one's a real keeper.

I have since made this many times, both for simple dinners at home and also for some parties and pot-lucks.  It is a guaranteed winner :)   Try it, your family and guests will be asking for seconds...and thirds.  The good thing about this is, you can marinade it in advance, and freeze it for later use.  I always have a packet of these tucked away in the freezer. 

Note to my non Asian readers: Nam Yue / Fermented red bean curd is a traditionally popular type of perserved tofu made from soy beans, soaked in brine with other ingredients including sesame oil, red yeast rice and chinese rice wine. It is commonly eaten as a condiment with porridge or used in stir frying or braising dishes. It has a strong, pungent aroma, with a texture not unlike creamy blue cheese (which is why it is sometimes described as Chinese cheese).

My preferred brand of Nam Yue is Yummy House (brand from Singapore).  It is quite pricey, almost double that of the regular china ones, but the taste is much more richer and creamier.  Well worth the extra dosh. 

Unbelievably Easy Nam Yue Roast Chicken Drumsticks
Serves 2-3

• 6 medium size drumsticks, rinsed and pat very dry
• 2-3 small chunks of nam yue, and 2 tsp of the nam yue liquid
• Sesame oil for basting

Instructions for conventional cooking method using oven or broiler:

1.  Pre heat the oven to 180 celcius. Rinse the drumsticks and pat very dry.

2.  Mash up the chunks of nam yue with the liquid and coat it evenly on the drumsticks. 

3.  Put the marinated drumsticks on a heatproof dish and roast for 30-40 minutes, basting occassionally with sesame oil.  Flip the drumsticks to cook on both sides.  Once the chicken is cooked, let it stand for about 20 minutes before serving.



Instructions for cooking using AMC Navigenio hotplate:

1.  Put the marinaded drumsticks into the AMC steamer, and sit it atop the AMC combi bowl, like Photo 2 below:

2.  Overturn the Navigenio hotplate and place it ontop of the steamer, covering it.   Switch it on and put to Heat #4 for 10 minutes until you smell something wonderful emitting from it!

Photo 2 : Overturn the hotplate and place it ontop the steamer,
which in turn is sitting ontop the combi bowl for the
oil drippings to drop down.  Much healthier way to cook.

3.  Remove the hotplate, and turn the drumsticks to the other side, turn the hotplate heat down to #3 and grill for another 8-10minutes, checking once or twice to make sure the skin turns crispy. 

Oil and fat that has dripped down into the combi bowl after cooking

4.  Switch off the hotplate, set the drumsticks onto a serving dish and let it cool down for 10 minutes before serving.

Crispy skinned drumsticks, cooked in 20minutes with the AMC hotplate

For more information on the AMC range of cookware and how it can make your cooking so much faster and easier, CLICK HERE