News

Jun 16, 2023

Julia Busuttil Nishimura's baked honey and soy chicken drumsticks

Growing up, my mum couldn't afford to pay for our weekly piano lessons. Instead,

Growing up, my mum couldn't afford to pay for our weekly piano lessons. Instead, she would cook trays of home-cooked meals in lieu of payment and always chose dishes she could make at a fraction of the cost of the lesson fee itself.

I have vivid memories of holding trays of hot food on my lap in the car as we were ferried off to our lessons. Of course, as a young child, I didn't really understand what it was all about, but now, the sacrifice is incredibly clear.

One of the dishes my mum would make was baked chicken drumsticks that had been marinated in honey, soy and orange. This is my version — a dish my own children now love and enjoy.

Julia Busuttil Nishimura is a cook, author and teacher. Her work celebrates simple ingredients, seasonal produce and the joys of coming together at the table. She's the author of three cookbooks, Ostro, A Year of Simple Family Food and Around the Table. Julia lives in Melbourne with her husband, Nori, and sons, Haruki and Yukito.

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