Ayam Goreng

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• or 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks

Bumbu

• 8shallots
• 6garlic cloves
• 4candlenuts, or macadamias
• 4cm fresh turmeric, or 2 teaspoons ground
• 3cm galangal
• 2 teaspoonsground coriander
• 1 teaspoonsalt

To simmer

• 3 stalkslemongrass, bruised
• 4kaffir lime leaves
• 2salam leaves, if available
• 500 mlwater or coconut water
• 2 tablespoonsoil, for frying the paste

To fry

• oil, for deep frying

To serve

• sambal terasi
• steamed rice
• cucumber and raw cabbage
• fried shallots

Directions

1. Peel the shallots, garlic, turmeric and galangal. Put everything in a blender with the coriander and salt. Add a splash of water to help it turn over.
2. Blend it to a smooth paste with no fibres. A stone mortar gives a better texture if you have one. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the paste and stir it constantly. Fry it for six to eight minutes. The raw smell must give way to a deep fragrant one. Oil separating at the edges means it is ready.
3. Add the chicken pieces to the fried paste. Turn them until they are coated all over. Add the lemongrass, lime leaves and salam. Pour in the water or coconut water. Bring it to a simmer and cover the pan.
4. Let it cook for about thirty-five minutes. Turn the pieces halfway through. The chicken should be cooked right through. Reduce the liquid until it clings to the chicken. Almost no liquid should be left in the pan.
5. Lift the pieces out onto a rack. Let them cool and dry for at least twenty minutes. Wet chicken spits violently in hot oil. Pour oil into a deep pan to about six centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil. Heat it to 180C and check it with a thermometer. Fry them for four to five minutes.
6. Turn them once as they colour. They should be deep golden brown and dry looking. Lift them onto a wire rack to drain. Drizzle it into the hot oil in a thin stream.
7. Lift it out and let it drain well. Crumble it over the chicken to serve. Serving it is done hot with rice. Pile the chicken onto a platter. Scatter kremes and fried shallots over it. Serve sambal terasi in a small dish. Add raw cucumber and cabbage on the side. Cooked and unfried pieces keep two days refrigerated. Fry them fresh when you want to eat them.

Technique

• Ungkep, the simmering of meat in spice paste before frying, is a defining Indonesian technique and is used for duck and beef as well.
• It allows the cooked meat to be kept and fried to order, which is how warungs work.

Substitutions

• Ground turmeric replaces fresh, using about half the quantity, though the colour is duller.
• Macadamias replace candlenuts directly and are far easier to find.

Variations

• Ayam goreng Kalasan is simmered in coconut water and is sweeter.
• Ayam goreng lengkuas is coated in a thick fried galangal crust.
• Ayam penyet is the same chicken smashed flat and served on sambal.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ayam Goreng?

Ayam Goreng is a main from Indonesia: turmeric-galangal marinated chicken fried until deeply golden.

How long does Ayam Goreng take to make?

Ayam Goreng takes 20 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Ayam Goreng?

Yes, within limits. Ground turmeric replaces fresh, using about half the quantity, though the colour is duller. Macadamias replace candlenuts directly and are far easier to find.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ayam Goreng?

Blend it to a smooth paste with no fibres. A stone mortar gives a better texture if you have one. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the paste and stir it constantly. Fry it for six to eight minutes. The raw smell must give way to a deep fragrant one. Oil separating at the edges means it is ready.