← Nouns Cooking · Indonesian & Filipino

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 6 Shallot, peeled
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 3 cm piece Ginger, peeled
• 3 cm piece Galangal, sliced
• 4 candlenuts (or macadamias)
• 2 tsp Ground coriander
• ½ tsp Ground turmeric
• ½ tsp White pepper
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 Lemongrass, bruised and knotted
• 3 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam) or bay leaves
• 3 Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves
• 500 ml coconut water (or water)
• 4 tbsp Kecap manis (sweet soy)
• 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Kecap manis (sweet soy)
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 Cucumber, sliced
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp Sambal oelek (optional)

Method

1. Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and candlenuts with the coriander, turmeric, white pepper and a splash of water into a smooth paste.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and fry the paste with the lemongrass, bay and lime leaves for 5 min, stirring, until it darkens a shade and smells fragrant.
3. Add the chicken and turn it in the paste for 2–3 min. Pour in the coconut water with the kecap manis, sugar and salt, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 30 min, turning the pieces once.
4. Uncover, turn the heat to medium and cook for 10–15 min, turning often, until the liquid has reduced to a thick, sticky sauce that clings to the chicken and the meat reaches 75°C (165°F) near the bone.
5. Lift out the chicken. Stir the basting kecap manis and oil into the sauce left in the pan.
6. Heat a barbecue, griddle pan or grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken for 8–10 min, turning and brushing with the sauce every couple of minutes, until glossy and charred in spots. Watch it closely: the sugar catches fast.
7. Serve with rice, cucumber, lime wedges and sambal.

Tips

• Do the braise up to a day ahead and keep the chicken in its sauce in the fridge; it then needs only the final grilling.
• Kecap manis contains wheat; a gluten-free sweet soy sauce makes the dish gluten-free. Candlenuts must always be cooked, never eaten raw.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Daily Cooking Quest Nomadette What To Cook Today