Only four ingredients, easy to eat drumsticks with a sweet fiery maple-siracha are simple, yet astonishingly tasty. This often overlooked cut delivers a rich meaty flavor with a touch of Scotch whiskey to add to the additional smoke flavor.

Excerpted from Project Fire by Steven Raichlen.

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Dining

RECIPE

Chicken Prep

12 large chicken drumsticks

1 Tbsp coarse salt (sea or kosher)

1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp hot red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Place drumsticks in mixing bowl, sprinkle with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and olive oil, stirring to coat well. 

Maple-Sriracha Glaze

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

5 Tbsp pure maple syrup

¼ cup sriracha, or more to taste

3 Tbsp Scotch whisky

 

Melt butter in saucepan over high heat, stir in maple syrup, sriracha and whisky. Boil until mixture is syrupy, 3-to-5 minutes.

Indirect Grilling

On a charcoal grill, rake coals into two mounds at opposite sides of grill and cook chicken in center. On gas grill, light the outside burners and grill in center.

Smoke-Roasting

Add hardwood (two chunks or 1 ½ cups wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes, then drained) to charcoal coals. On gas grill, make smoker pouch by folding heavy-duty aluminum foil over wood chips and poking holes in top to release smoke. 

Ready, Set, Grill!

• Set up grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high. Before cooking, scrape grill grate clean and brush grill grate with vegetable oil.

• Arrange drumsticks rounded-side up in single layer in center of grill. Add wood to coals or smoker pouch under grill grate and over outside burners.

• Close grill lid. Indirect grill drumsticks until skin is crisp and well browned. Cook 40 to 50 minutes, to internal temperature of 170ºF.

• About 5 minutes before chicken is done, brush all sides with glaze. Repeat just before removing drumsticks from grill. 

• Arrange drumsticks on platter and pour remaining glaze over them. Sprinkle with cilantro, chives or scallion greens and serve.

Excerpted from Project Fire by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2018. Photographs by Matthew Benson