Collagen rich chicken drumstick cooked with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.
This slightly sweet and aromatic chicken drumstick is cooked tender enough to eat the whole cartilage so you can get the most of collagen benefits!
Chicken drumstick has been one of my favorite dish.
Chicken drumstick is flavorful and you can enjoy it in many ways including grilling, cooking in a soup or stew.
But have you consider that the waste parts that you have discarded actually are the great source of nutrients, like collagen?
Collagen is a most abundant protein in our body and is important for maintaining the health for skin, nail, hair, bone and even our gut.
As we discover its numerous health benefits, collagen supplements has been taking over large part of supplement market. but do you know that you can actually get it from whole foods without paying $$ for expensive supplements?
Chicken drumstick is one of the most abundant source for collagen as joint cartilage is mostly made up of collagen protein.
Chicken drumsticks are more accessible and “manageable” than other parts that are dense source of collagen like chicken fingers or neck, so why not try and make this balsamic soy chicken drumstick to get its nutritious benefits?
what is special about balsamic soy chicken drmstic recipe?
- you can eat the whole cartilage
- easy to cook
- naturally sweetened with honey
- aromatic and flavorful
- sweet and sour = delicious!!
Yes, you read it right! You can actually eat the whole cartilage and get the most of its collagen!!
You do need to cook for at least one hour so that cartilage becomes tender enough to “chew”, but you can use pressure cooker to shorten cooking time if you want it quicker.
Chicken drumstick is one of the most popular dish in Japan and is typically cooked with soy sauce, sake (rice wine), mirin (sweet rice wine) and sugar.
In this recipe I added balsamic vinegar and used honey in stead of sugar.
Balsamic vinegar goes very well with soy sauce also it gives the natural sweetness while the sourness balance out the taste when it is added to this cooking soup.
if you haven’t tried this combo you definitely have to try it!!
Vitamin C for optimal collagen production in your body
Vitamin C is responsible for holding cells together during the creation of collagen. Without adequate amount of Vitamin C our body cannot produce or store collagen.
So make sure to eat plentiful of fresh vegetables and fruits if you want to make the most of collagen benefits.
Vitamin C rich recipe ideas
how to make balsamic soy chicken drumstick
ingredients;
- 6-8 small chicken drumstick (or 2-4 large drumsticks) (mine was 350g total)
- 2 fat garlic cloves
- soy sauce 1 tbsp
- rice wine 3 tbsp (＊see the tip below)
- honey 2tsp (14g)
- balsamic vinegar 1tbsp
- 360ml filtered water or enough to cover the chicken
steps;
Preparation;
Lightly sprinkle salt and black pepper over the chicken drumsticks.
I recommend to use non-sticking pan/pot but if you do not have one, coat it with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking.
2. Brown the surface of the chicken drumsticks
Heat the pan, add the chicken and sliced garlic and cook over medium heat until the surface of chicken gets lightly browned.
You do not need to cook chicken through here.
This process helps to “trap” the flavor of the chicken inside.
(you can do this process in pressure cooker if you are using it)
3. Cook chicken until it becomes tender (with pressure cooker option)
Add in water, soy sauce, rice wine, honey and balsamic vinegar, and bring it to boil.
Skim the foam that come up to the surface. (skip it if you use pressure cooker)
Turn the heat lowest, cover the pan, and let it simmer for about an hour or the cartilage becomes tender.
After about an hour the flesh and cartilage starts to look “separate” from the bone. (see the photo)
If the drumsticks start to show out of the “soup”, add jkust enough water to cover them.
Pressure cooker option;
One you added the water and the seasonings lock the lid. Bring to boil until it gets high pressure, lower the heat and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
Let the pressure come down naturally, about 10- 15 minutes.
4. Thicken the sauce
When drumsticks becomes tender, uncover, turn to medium heat and cook another 5-10 minutes to let the water evaporate and the sauce gets thickened.
5. Serve and enjoy!!
tips;
- Using pan or pot;
You may be wondering if you should use or pan or pot.
I used all purpose “pan” which is deep and can also be used as a pot.
You may want to use pot in stead if diameter of your pan is too large and/or is shallow.
I recommend to use the pot/pan which the chicken just cover the bottom with single layer. - Make sure to used cooking rice wine or Cooking Sake, not Mirin, which is sweet rice wine.
If you don’t have cooking rice wine you can try using white wine in stead. (the flavor will be different result though)
Serving suggestion
I like eating this dish with brown rice because this thick, sweet, savory and sour sauce goes really well with it especially it has soy sauce!
Also I suggest you to add Vitamin C rich sides to make the most of collage benefits.
This balsamic soy chicken drum stick dish is perfect for your weekday and weekend dinner or will be great main dish to entertain dinner parties as well.
If you serve larger audience double or triple the amount of ingredients to match the serving size.
If you tried this balsamic soy chicken drumstick recipe I let me know! I would love to hear your experience!
Feel free to leave questions or suggestions in the comment section below.
And one more thing to ask you.
I would love to connect with like minded people, so please remember to snap a photo and share it with #living_my_nature tagging @living_my_nature!!
I look forward to hear from you!!
♥Thank you for reading!♥
Collagen rich balsamic soy chicken drumstick
Equipment
- pressure cooker/ pot/ pan (see the recipe note)
Ingredients
- 6-8 small chicken drumsticks - or 2-4 large drumsticks, mine was 350g total
- 2 fat garlic cloves - sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce - choose gluten free if you need
- 3 tbsp rice wine (cooking sake) - see the recipe note below
- 2 tsp honey (14g)
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 360 ml filtered water - or it is enough to cover the drumsticks
Instructions
- Lightly sprinkle salt and black pepper over the chicken drumsticks. I recommend to use non-sticking pan/pot but if you do not have one, coat it with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking.
- Heat the pan, add the chicken and sliced garlic and cook over medium heat until the surface of chicken gets lightly browned. You do not need to cook chicken through here though. This process helps to "trap" the flavor of the chicken inside.(you can do this process in pressure cooker if you are using it)
- Add in water, soy sauce, rice wine, honey and balsamic vinegar, cover the pan, and bring it to boil. Skim the foam that come up to the surface. (skip it if you use pressure cooker)Turn the heat lowest and let it simmer for about an hour or the cartilage becomes tender.After about an hour the flesh and cartilage starts to look "separate" from the bone. (see the photo)Pressure cooker option;One you added the water and the seasonings lock the lid. Bring to boil until it gets high pressure, lower the heat and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 10- 15 minutes.
- When drumsticks becomes tender, uncover, turn to medium heat and cook another 5-10 minutes to let the water evaporate and the sauce gets thickened.
- Serve with brown rice or sides of your like.Enjoy!!
Notes
If you don't have cooking rice wine you can try with white wine in stead. (the flavor will be different result though.) ＊2) Using pan or pot;
I used all purpose "pan" which is deep and can also be used as a pot.
You may want to use pot in stead if diameter of your pan is too large and/or is shallow.
I recommend to use the pot/pan which the chicken just cover the bottom with single layer.
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