EASTERN DRUMSTICKS

When I was in Britain I used to use pomegranate molasses a lot but I had never managed to find any here.  However, last time I was in Catania I did come across some at Cristaldi so I grabbed a bottle, then couldn't remember exactly which dishes I used to use it in.  Rather than going through all my recipe books, I decided to invent something and used it in the marinade for these chicken drumsticks:

In a glass bowl, mix together 2 tablesp pomegranate molasses, 4 tablesp olive oil, the juice of a Sicilian or unwaxed lemon, a glass of white wine, 3 - 4 crushed allspice berries, a couple of grinds of mixed peppercorns, coarse seasalt and a few grinds of cinnamon from a cinnamon mill or a little powdered cinnamon. Add 6 drumsticks and turn them in the marinade. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave for a couple of hours or overnight if you can. Turn the drumsticks over once during this time. When you are ready to cook, drain the drumsticks, discard the marinade and cook them on a rack in a foil-lined roasting dish for about 40 minutes at 180 C. 

I had neither radicchio nor pomegranate seeds when I cooked these on Sunday but I think another time I'll serve them on a bed of dressed radicchio and sprinkle some pomegranate seeds over the top.