Garlic Chicken Drummettes
18 chicken drummettes (thawed, skin on)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup flour
oil for frying
salt
pepper
12 cloves garlic
1. Marinate chicken drummettes in a large bowl with soy sauce in refrigerator for a few hours, stirring occasionally to redistribute.
2. Drain chicken in a colander. Season heavily with salt & pepper.
3. Combine corn starch and flour in a large plastic bag. Season the flour mixture with salt & pepper. Shake chicken pieces 6 at a time in bag. Shake off excess coating, and place drummettes on a wire rack. Let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Peel & mince garlic. Set aside in a small bowl.
5. Heat 3/4" of oil in a large skillet on medium heat. When oil reaches temperature and begins to shimmer, add half of the chicken pieces.
6. Fry chicken for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until juice from an incision runs clear. Remove chicken to a paper towel-lined platter and hold in warm oven while frying the second batch of chicken.
7. Remove the second half of the chicken to the platter. Pour oil out of skillet, leaving just the small amount of oil that sticks to the pan.
8. Return the pan to the stove on medium heat. Dump the garlic into the skillet, stir quickly for a few seconds, add all the chicken pieces back in. Sprinkle heavily with coarse-ground black pepper. Quickly toss the chicken pieces around through the garlic to coat them. Remove chicken to paper towel-lined platter. (This should all be done rather quickly. The garlic should be cooked to remove raw flavor, just until slightly golden... but not burned to the point that it gets bitter.)
