(Almost) Poultry Palace Chicken Drumsticks

The Poultry Palace at Disney's California Adventures serves up drumsticks that might conjure up disturbing memories of Shake n Bake for some folks, but for me, it was a revelatory experience of what an alternative to the traditional "fried" chicken can be. There was no oily, greasy thick skin of fried batter, and yet there was still the experience of a crusty crunch. The meat was juicy and tender. After that one meal, my boyfriend and I couldn't stop talking about it for months afterward. So finally, I decided to try my hand at recreating it.

After trawling through a dozen recipes, I'm happy to say that an adaptation has recreated, if not the exact taste, the experience we were looking for! Tender, juicy, but with that essential crunchy exterior and savory spiced experience. Thankfully, we can now fulfill our Poultry Palace cravings without having to pay the entry fee for Disney!

• 8-10 drumsticks
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup fine-ground cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Prepare a baking sheet (you may line it with foil to help contain the mess).
2. Pat the drumsticks dry. (Optional) Using a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen sheers, take as much skin off the drumsticks as possible. Because the skin can shrink as the chicken bakes, I prefer to just remove it and ensure all of the drumstick is nicely coated by the batter.
3. Pour the olive oil into one bowl. In another bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients thoroughly.
4. Take each drumstick and coat it in the olive oil. Then dredge it thoroughly through the spice mixture. Then lay it on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes.