Opor Ayam

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1chicken, jointed into 10 pieces
• 1 tspsalt
• juice of 1 lime

Bumbu

• 8shallots
• 6 clovesgarlic
• 5candlenuts, kemiri
• 2 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspwhite pepper
• 2cm ginger
• 2cm galangal
• 1 tspturmeric

Aromatics

• 3 stalkslemongrass, bruised
• 5kaffir lime leaves
• 3salam leaves, Indonesian bay
• 1cinnamon stick

Sauce

• 800 mlcoconut milk
• 3 tbspoil
• 1 tspsugar
• salt

To finish

• bawang goreng, fried shallots

To serve

• ketupat, compressed rice cakes
• sambal goreng ati
• kerupuk

Directions

1. Rub the chicken with salt and lime and let it stand 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. The lime and salt rub is a standard Indonesian step for poultry and it takes away any faint off smell.
2. Blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, galangal, turmeric and ground spices into a smooth paste. They are mildly toxic raw and must be cooked, which frying the bumbu does.
3. Heat the oil and fry the bumbu over a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Fry it patiently until it darkens slightly and the oil separates and pools at the edges.
4. Add the lemongrass, lime leaves, salam leaves and cinnamon and fry a further minute. Use them if you can find them. Add the chicken pieces and turn them in the paste until coated on every side.
5. Pour in the coconut milk, add the sugar and salt, and bring it to a bare simmer. Never let it boil. Stir it now and then in the same direction, gently, which also helps stop it splitting.
6. Simmer uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. The finished sauce should be pale ivory, not yellow-orange.
7. Taste and season, and expect it to be gently savoury and faintly sweet rather than hot. Scatter fried shallots over generously. Serve with ketupat, the compressed rice cakes woven in palm leaf, which is the fixed Lebaran pairing.

Technique

• Opor putih is the white version here; opor kuning has more turmeric and is yellow.
• It reheats well over a low heat, and thins with a splash of water.
• Hard-boiled eggs are often simmered in the sauce alongside the chicken.

Substitutions

• Macadamia nuts in place of candlenuts.
• Bay leaves for salam leaves, which is not the same but is the usual substitute.

Variations

• Opor kuning, the yellow version.
• With hard-boiled eggs or tofu added.
• Made with duck, which is richer.

History

Chicken in mild spiced coconut sauce, eaten with ketupat at Lebaran, the feast ending Ramadan.

Frequently asked questions

What is Opor Ayam?

Opor Ayam is a main from Indonesia: gentle coconut-braised chicken served with ketupat at Lebaran. Chicken in mild spiced coconut sauce, eaten with ketupat at Lebaran, the feast ending Ramadan.

How long does Opor Ayam take to make?

Opor Ayam takes 30 min of preparation and 1 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Opor Ayam?

Yes, within limits. Macadamia nuts in place of candlenuts. Bay leaves for salam leaves, which is not the same but is the usual substitute.

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

Blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, galangal, turmeric and ground spices into a smooth paste. They are mildly toxic raw and must be cooked, which frying the bumbu does.