Ah, fried drumsticks… It is a dish that probably no child refuses. The Milanese cutlet. I loved it too when I was little (and still do now that I’m grown), but when my mom made fried drumsticks, no cutlet could compare. Practically, when she put them on the table, it was like Sunday, Easter, and Christmas rolled into one. In August. And sometimes September. Because those were the months when my dad’s colleague would pick them in the woods near his house. And he often gave some to my dad, much to our delight! For me, they are one of the ultimate comfort foods.
Preparing fried drumsticks is very easy, but you need to follow some tips. The first thing to do, of course, is to clean them well, removing the stem and then using a brush or a damp cloth on the entire cap and also on the gills, to remove any residual soil or insects. Then you can bread them with the classic steps of flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs.
A very important thing for preparing drumsticks is that they are cooked well since these mushrooms, raw or even partially raw, are poisonous and you risk intoxication. Better to cook them well, therefore, to avoid unpleasant side effects. Frying them until golden, in my opinion, remains the tastiest and safest method to prepare them.
If you find some drumsticks still closed, no problem. Fill a glass or jar with water and place them so that the stem is in contact with the water. You will see them open after a few hours.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 drumsticks (even 8 if they are small)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 eggs
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 7 oz breadcrumbs
- 1 3/4 cups peanut oil
- to taste lemon (in slices)
Steps
To prepare the fried drumsticks, take the drumsticks, remove the stem and clean the cap thoroughly with a brush or a damp cloth. Both the top and the gills, to remove any residual little animals or soil. If they are particularly dirty, quickly pass them under running water, so they don’t absorb too much water. In that case, place the drumstick caps on kitchen paper or a clean cloth and let them dry.
If the drumsticks are small, you can leave the cap whole, otherwise, I recommend cutting them in half, so it will be easier to turn them during cooking.
Then prepare what is necessary for breading them, namely 1 plate with flour, 1 plate with eggs, which you will beat with a fork after adding salt and pepper, and a third plate with the breadcrumbs.
Pass all the drumsticks in the flour, so that they are covered, remove the excess flour and lay them on kitchen paper.
Then pass them, one at a time, first in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs, pressing lightly so that the latter adheres well on the entire surface.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan suitable for frying and until it reaches about 330 degrees Fahrenheit (if you don’t have a thermometer, you can dip the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil, if bubbles rise around it, it’s ready). Then insert the breaded drumsticks into the hot oil and leave them to fry for 3-4 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they are golden brown on all sides.
Remove the drumsticks from the oil and lay them on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil. Serve immediately accompanied with lemon slices for those who like it. Fried drumsticks are great accompanied with fresh salad or even potato salad. If desired, you can serve them with remoulade sauce, for which you can find my recipe here.
Tips
If you like, you can add grated cheese or aromatic herbs to the breadcrumbs.
If the egg is running low before you have passed all the drumsticks, you can add a few tablespoons of milk or cream to the remaining egg, to avoid having to break another one and consume it only halfway.
