The chicken "lollipop" is a straight-forward butchering technique worth practicing and mastering. It enhances both the presentation and ease of eating chicken wings. This method transforms a standard chicken drumette into an elegant, self-contained portion, perfect for appetizers, tasting menus, or simply a cleaner way to enjoy the meaty chunk. It’s a skill that requires precision but is achievable with practice.
Why Make Chicken Lollipops?
The appeal of the chicken lollipop lies in its refined presentation and practicality:
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Enhanced Presentation: The clean, rounded shape resembles a lollipop, offering a more sophisticated visual appeal than a standard drumette.
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Easier to Eat: With the meat concentrated at one end and a bone handle, lollipop drumettes are less messy and more convenient to eat.
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Consistent Cooking: The uniform shape can contribute to more even cooking of the meat portion.
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Versatility: Lollipop drumettes can be prepared using various cooking methods and paired with diverse sauces and glazes.
Tools You'll Need:
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A sharp, small knife (a paring knife or boning knife works well). Sharpness is key for clean cuts.
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A clean cutting board.
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Paper towels for gripping and hygiene.
Step-by-Step: Crafting Your Chicken Lollipop
While typically made from drumettes, this technique can sometimes be adapted for the thicker end of a wingette (though drumettes are ideal due to their single bone). In Japan, this is referred to as “tulip chicken” because the meaty end is said to resemble a tulip. Finally, standard drumsticks can also be prepared in this way. For this guide, we'll focus on the standard drumette:
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Prepare the Drumette: Hold the chicken drumette firmly in your non-dominant hand with the thicker, meatier end facing down. Locate the thinner end where the bone connects to the joint. You'll usually find some cartilage and smaller bones here.
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Make the First Cut: Using your sharp knife, make a clean, circular cut through the skin and tendons all the way around the bone, right at the narrowest point, just below the meaty portion. This cut should go down to the bone.
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Separate and Push: Use your knife or your fingers to carefully separate the meat and skin from the bone at the cut you just made. Once separated, use a paper towel for better grip on the bone and firmly push the meat and skin down towards the thicker end of the drumette. You're essentially creating a ball of meat at one end and exposing the bone at the other.
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Clean the Bone: Scrape any remaining small bits of meat, skin, or connective tissue off the exposed bone to make a clean handle.
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Trim the Meat (Optional): You can trim away any excess fat or irregular pieces from the meat portion to create a neater "lollipop" shape, but this is not strictly necessary for function.
Tips for a Perfect Lollipop:
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Use a Sharp Knife: This tip cannot be emphasized enough. A sharp knife makes clean cuts and reduces the risk of slipping.
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Work Methodically: Take your time with each drumette.
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Use Paper Towels for Grip: Chicken can be slippery; paper towels provide essential grip when pushing the meat down the bone.
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Don't Discard the Scraps: Any small bits of meat or skin you trim can be saved for stock or other uses.
Cooking Your Chicken Lollipops:
Chicken lollipops can be cooked using any method of your choosing. They are excellent fried for a crispy exterior, baked in the oven for a healthier option, or even grilled. The concentrated meat portion tends to cook evenly, resulting in juicy results. Because the meat is pushed to one end, it may require a little more cooking time. Be sure to check the internal temperature as you cook. For food safety, the recommendation is to cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F.
No Time to Lollipop?
If this technique is new to you and you don’t have time to hone your lollipop skills, order a few packs of Jidori Tulip Wings ahead and surprise your family or dinner guests. When time permits, practice with a pack of our party wings, which includes both drumettes and flats.
The success of your chicken lollipops, both in ease of preparation and final taste, begins with the quality of the chicken itself. High-quality poultry, properly handled, will have bones that separate more cleanly and meat with superior texture and flavor. Premium Jidori chicken makes the butchering process more efficient, taking the basic drumette and ensuring your finished lollipops are truly delicious.
Mastering the technique of creating chicken lollipops is a rewarding step in expanding your poultry butchering skills. It transforms a familiar cut into something visually appealing and easy to enjoy, perfect for impressing guests or adding a touch of elegance to your menu.