Although I don’t solely eat Korean cuisine, it is hands down my go-to, comfort food. As I’ve mentioned before, my mom is a phenomenal cook! Her recipes are out of this world, but being the health conscious freak that I am and an RD in the making, I’m afraid there are some things that need to be tweaked. Good thing she doesn’t read this. She’d be offended, and I’d like to avoid that at all cost! One of my ultimate comfort meals is her braised chicken legs. If you want to experience that fifth mysterious taste, umami, this one is for you! I’ve tried the recipe with chicken breasts before, but it just wasn’t the same. A lot of people stay away from dark meat, but it’s actually not as unhealthy as you might think. Yes, the dark meat contains more fat and calories, but the differences are relatively small. Just remove the skin, and you are good to go! Some of the benefits of dark meat – it’s rich in myoglobin (white meat contains none) and contains more zinc, iron, amino acids, and B vitamins (specifically B6, B12, thiamin, and riboflavin) as compared to the chicken breast. This just reiterates the fact that there are no “bad” foods. It’s all about moderation. Now, I’m not trying to get you to eat more dark meat, but I do want to open your mind to the possibilities. Did I succeed? 😉 In fact, you could’ve considered me a member of the white meat mafia for many many years, until I learned this mind-altering piece of information at school.
Asian-Style Braised Chicken Drumsticks Serves 4 people | Prep time: 15 min | Cooking time: approx. 30 min. Ingredients
3 Ibs. skinless drumsticks 1 cup leek, rinse well and chop in chunks 3 cups water 8 garlic cloves 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced 1 Tbs toasted slivered almonds 1 Tbs toasted pine nuts (I used sunflower seeds)
Seasoning
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1/3 cup sesame oil 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup honey 1 Tbs garlic, minced 1 Tbs mirin (or wine) 1/2 Tsp black pepper
Directions Suggestion: serve with brown rice.
