This sheet-pan recipe from NYT Cooking combines chicken drumsticks and root vegetables with a delicious honey sauce. Marinate the chicken for 1 to 24 hours in advance of baking. Pour the chicken and marinade in pan, add the vegetables and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, increase the oven temperature, turn the chicken and vegetables, drizzle with honey and butter and roast for another 10-15 minutes. Toss the cooked chicken and vegetables in the sauce and serve garnished with scallions.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Allen’s apple cider vinegar is additive free. Use tamari instead of soy sauce. Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or ant-caking agents. Use butter that contains only milk or cream, no colour.

Honey baked chicken drumsticks

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce

2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground ginger

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) onion powder

6 tablespoons (90 ml) honey, preferably clover

Coarse kosher salt and black pepper

8 skin-on chicken drumsticks

1 pound (454 g) root vegetables (any mix of carrots, parsnips and potatoes), cut into 1 ½ -inch (3.8-cm) pieces

4 tablespoons (60 ml) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 large scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

Preparation:

In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, ground ginger, onion powder, 4 tablespoons (60 ml) honey, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. If you have the time, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 C).

Pour the chicken and all of its marinade into a 13-by-9-inch (33-by-22-cm) baking pan (preferably metal). Add the root vegetables and toss to coat in the marinade, then spread the chicken and vegetables in a snug but single layer. Roast for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and turn up the heat to 450 degrees F (232 C). Turn the chicken and vegetables in the pan juices, then drizzle all over with the remaining 2 tablespoons honey and top with the butter. Continue roasting until the pan sauce is sticky and the chicken and vegetables are browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

To serve, tilt the pan to collect the sauce in one corner, then spoon it over the chicken and vegetables to make them glossy. Scatter over the scallions and serve directly from the pan. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking