Mexican-style chicken: An unexpected twist with plum jam

This dish is known as Mexican-style chicken in my house, although it's hard to find any Mexican connections here. The sauce ingredients are plum jam and ketchup. This combination sounds quite unusual, but it's worth trying. You'll quickly forget about boring chicken drumsticks.

When I serve this chicken, everyone immediately starts eating. It's a great recipe for a New Year's dinner, a get-together with friends, or a family meal. Plum jam, ketchup, and chilli make ordinary chicken exceptionally tasty.

It's best to marinate the meat a few hours before baking. The earlier marinating gives the meat a deeper flavour and makes it juicier. However, if you forget about it, don’t worry. You can start baking after an hour. Combining ketchup, plum jam, and other spices creates a sauce that perfectly balances sweetness and saltiness.

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken drumsticks,
• 3 tablespoons of flour,
• 1 teaspoon of chilli powder (or more, depending on your heat preference),
• 75 grams of butter,
• 1 large onion,
• 3 cloves of garlic,
• 1 tablespoon of wine vinegar,
• 2 tablespoons of plum jam,
• 4 tablespoons of ketchup,
• 250 millilitres of water,
• 1 bay leaf,
• salt to taste,
• canola oil for frying.

Preparation:

1. Wash and dry the drumsticks. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
2. Mix flour with chilli powder and coat the chicken pieces in it.
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the meat.
4. Melt butter in a pot. Add chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until they become translucent.
5. Then pour in the wine vinegar, add plum jam, ketchup, water, and bay leaf.
6. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
7. Transfer the fried drumsticks to an ovenproof dish, pour the prepared sauce over them, and cover.
8. Place in an oven preheated to 180°C and bake for about an hour until the meat is tender.

Serve the ready Mexican-style chicken with your favourite side dishes, such as boiled potatoes, fries, and coleslaw. Enjoy!