Eastern European · lunch, dinner

Ostropel de Pui (Romanian Chicken in Garlic Tomato Sauce)

Ostropel de pui

Ostropel de Pui (Romanian Chicken in Garlic Tomato Sauce) — from Retetele Mihaelei's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 6:07

Video by Retetele Mihaelei on YouTube, in Romanian · Open on YouTube

50 minServes 3465 kcal a serve
  • Nut-free

Contains: Gluten, Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

About 37 g protein and 14 g net carbs a serve: browned chicken drumsticks in a garlicky tomato sauce thickened with just one spoonful of flour.

Printable PDFA4

The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.

Ingredients 13

Method

The cook speaks Romanian; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. The video’s English subtitles come on by themselves.

  1. Cut a slit through the thickest part of each drumstick, right through beside the bone, so the heat reaches the middle and the meat cooks through. 1:03
  2. Heat a wide frying pan well, add a little oil and the drumsticks. Cook over medium heat with the lid set ajar, turning now and then, so they brown slowly on all sides while you make the sauce (about 30 minutes). 1:22
  3. In a second pan over very low heat, melt the butter and add the sliced onion. Let it soften slowly without browning, stirring now and then, until soft and glassy. 2:07
  4. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook it gently for a few minutes until the kitchen smells of garlic — don't let it brown. 3:17
  5. Stir in the flour just until it soaks up the butter, then add a splash of the passata-and-water mix and turn the heat up. Once it thickens, add more liquid, and repeat until it is all in. 3:43
  6. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and thyme, then add 1–2 tbsp vinegar to give it a gentle sourness. 4:29
  7. Check the chicken is cooked to the bone. Blot the excess oil from its pan with paper towel, pour the sauce over the drumsticks, simmer a few minutes (thin with a little water if needed) and scatter with parsley. 5:04

Tip. Six drumsticks serve about 3 (the cook doesn't say). Boneless thighs, turkey or pork work too. In Romania it's often eaten with mashed potato or polenta; a green salad or steamed greens keep it lighter.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 3

Energy465 kcal1,940 kJ
Protein37 g74% of a day
Fibre2.6 g9% of a day
Carbohydrate17 g14 g net · 6.4 g sugars6% of a day
Fat27 g9.4 g saturated35% of a day
Sodium550 mg24% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 13%
  • Protein 33%
  • Fat 54%

Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Selenium High63%

35 µg a serve, mostly from chicken drumsticks (91%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Vitamin K High46%

55 µg a serve, mostly from parsley (79%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Vitamin B6 High42%

0.7 mg a serve, mostly from chicken drumsticks (70%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Zinc High36%

4 mg a serve, mostly from chicken drumsticks (89%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Omega-3 High36%

0.6 g a serve, mostly from oil (70%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin B12 High22%

0.5 µg a serve, mostly from chicken drumsticks (96%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Vitamin C Source19%

17 mg a serve, mostly from tomato passata (48%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin A Source17%

153 µg a serve, mostly from butter (45%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Iron Source16%

2.9 mg a serve, mostly from chicken drumsticks (57%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin E Source16%

2.3 mg a serve, mostly from tomato passata (36%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Potassium Source14%

670 mg a serve, mostly from chicken drumsticks (43%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Magnesium Source12%

52 mg a serve, mostly from chicken drumsticks (56%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Show the other 3
Folate9%

36 µg a serve, mostly from chicken drumsticks (28%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Calcium5%

67 mg a serve, mostly from tomato passata (25%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin D1%

0.3 µg a serve, mostly from butter (54%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

You might also like

Browse all 953 recipes

Recipe and video by Retetele Mihaelei; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.