Macadamia stuffed chicken drumsticks

Marinating • 1 hour

Serves 4

For the stuffing

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp dukkah

6 dates, seeded and chopped

2 thick bacon strips, finely chopped

4 1⁄2oz (125g) macadamia nuts, chopped

2 tbsp finely sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley

12 chicken drumsticks

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dukkah (see p357), plus extra, to serve

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked, plus extra, to serve

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon wedges, to serve

Method:

1 To make the stuffing, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add the onion, and gently sauté for a few minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, dukkah, dates, and bacon, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chopped nuts, and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the parsley. Set aside to cool.

2 To stuff the chicken, rinse the drumsticks, and pat dry with paper towels. Carefully loosen and pull back the skin from each drumstick. Make a cut lengthwise into the meaty part of each one, and spoon a little of the stuffing into the pocket. Press the side of the pocket together with your fingers, and pull the skin back firmly over the cut. Place the drumsticks in a shallow dish.

3 Mix together the olive oil, 1 teaspoon dukkah, and the leaves of rosemary. Season. Pour the mixture over the drumsticks, turning them to coat well. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

4 Heat the barbecue or charcoal grill until hot. Grill the drumsticks over medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until cooked through. Baste with the marinade while cooking. Serve piled high on a serving dish, sprinkled with extra dukkah and rosemary leaves, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Macadamia stuffed chicken drumsticks