it's leg day.

Ginger and turmeric: it even sounds catchy. The sweet, yet zesty flavor of ginger plays well with the earthy tones of turmeric. I used ground spices from my spice cabinet. Cornmeal provides a crunchy coating, and lightly sweet with a bit of a grainy texture. I adapted this recipe from Nathalie Dupree's Sesame and Turmeric Chicken recipe in Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking.

Ginger and Turmeric Cornmeal Crusted Drumsticks

1/2 cup plain cornmeal

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

6 chicken drumsticks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cornmeal with sesame seeds, ginger, turmeric, salt and pepper. Using one hand, coat each thigh individually on each side. Pat to coat. Press any extra or loose seeds onto the drumsticks after coating.

Add to a greased rimmed baking sheet and bake 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking time. The chicken is finished cooking when the thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 165 to 170 degrees.