Braised Chicken Drumsticks

Yields:	8 servings
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	Preparation	20 minutes
	Cooking	1 hours
	Ready In	12 hours

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Ingredients

8	each	chicken drumsticks
1	x	cornstarch	for dredging
3	cups	vegetable oil	for deep frying
1	cup	chestnuts	dried
1	tablespoon	five spice powder
4	cups	water	cold
1/2	cup	soy sauce, dark
1/2	cup	rock sugar
1/2	cup	sherry	medium
1/2	teaspoon	salt

Directions

At least 12 hours before cooking this dish, rinse several times then soak dried chestnuts.

After soaking, remove pieces of skin wedged in nutmeat.

Deep-frying: In wok or suitable pan, slowly heat deep-frying oil; oil is ready when bubbles quickly form around chopstick held vertically in oil.

Meanwhile, dredge drumsticks in cornstarch; shake off excess starch.

Deep- fry drumsticks 2 at a time until brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove from oil; drain.

Red-cooking: Pour water in sandy pot or comparable casserole dish; add 5- spice bouquet, soy sauce, sherry and salt (5-spice powder can be substituted, though the final flavor will be less distinctive).

Slowly bring to boil, reduce heat, cover pot and simmer 15 minutes.

Remove cover; discard bouquet; add salt and rock sugar; dissolve rock sugar.

You can stop here until near serving time.

About 30 minutes before serving time, add drumsticks and soaked chestnuts to hot red-cooked sauce.

Simmer in covered pot for 15 minutes; remove cover; simmer for another 15 minutes.

Sauce should have reduced by about 1/3, and become bright and thick.

To serve, prop drumsticks up around sides of sandy pot; spear chestnuts with sate sticks or long toothpicks.