BY ZACCHARY BIRD

These Cruelty-Free Chicken Drumsticks are super tasty and impressive. Featuring an edible cauliflower bone covered with chicken-flavoured jackfruit and a Southern spice mix, this recipe is sure to delight your friends and family – as well as chickens, who’d prefer you didn’t deep-fry their legs.

Check out Meals for Mere Mortals for tips on easy deep-frying at home without the fiddly gear.

Cruelty-Free Chicken Drumsticks

Adapted from Meals for Mere Mortals e-book

Ingredients

2 565 g cans young green jackfruit, drained, rinsed, and de-seeded

1 1/2 cups vegan chicken-style stock

2 tsp nutritional yeast

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

10 drops liquid smoke

1 medium head cauliflower, quartered

3/4 cup plain white flour

3/4 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp sage

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp dried basil

1 pinch dried oregano

1 pinch turmeric

Aquafaba from 1 can chickpeas

500–750 ml vegetable oil

Optional: 1/2 tsp kala namak and 1 tsp MSG or 2 tsp torula yeast

Instructions

• In a pot, add the jackfruit, vegan chicken-style stock, nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoonful of the onion powder, and liquid smoke. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed by the jackfruit. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Cut off the majority of the florets of each cauliflower quarter to create the basic shape of a drumstick.
• Pack a quarter of the jackfruit mixture around the floret part of each of the cauliflower bones. Wrap each tightly with cling film, leaving the stem of the cauliflower exposed, and mould the jackfruit into the shape of a drumstick. Freeze for at least an hour.
• In a large bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients, except the aquafaba and oil. Pour the aquafaba into a separate bowl.
• Once the “drumsticks” are firm, remove the cling film and quickly coat each with aquafaba and roll in the flour mixture. Remould if needed.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the “drumsticks” in batches of two, turning frequently with tongs (gripping around the jackfruit part) until brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Place on kitchen towels to drain, then serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauces.

Check out ZaccharyBird.com for recipes and resources and to download a copy of the Meals for Mere Mortals e-book with thorough ingredient guides, cooking hacks, and a trove of winning recipes. Find Zacchary Bird on Facebook or Instagram for recipes, jokes, and all things vegan.

Want vegan chicken on the run? Join us in asking KFC to bring their vegan chicken to Australia.