Ayam Goreng

Ayam Goreng (Indonesian Fried Chicken)

Javanese-style fried chicken, first simmered in a fragrant turmeric and coriander broth until tender, then fried until the skin turns deeply golden and crisp. Serve with steamed rice and a fiery sambal.

Prep

20 min

Cook

45 min

Total

65 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.2 kg (about 2½ lb) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, bone-in, skin-on
• •1.5 L (6 cups) water
• •45 g (3 tbsp) fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced, or 2 tbsp ground turmeric
• •8 g (about 2 tbsp) coriander seeds, toasted and crushed, or 1 tbsp ground coriander
• •60 g (4 cloves) garlic, smashed
• •30 g (2 tbsp) shallots, sliced
• •15 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, smashed
• •2 g (1 tsp) salt, plus extra to taste
• •2 g (1 tsp) white pepper, crushed
• •2 whole lime leaves, optional
• •1 stalk lemongrass, bruised, optional
• •500 ml (2 cups) neutral oil, for shallow frying; sunflower or peanut
• •100 g (about 7) red bird's eye chilies (cabe rawit), for sambal
• •4 whole red cayenne chilies, for sambal
• •4 whole shallots, for sambal
• •2 clove garlic, for sambal
• •1 tsp shrimp paste (terasi), toasted; for sambal
• •1 tsp lime juice, for sambal
• •4 g (¾ tsp) salt, for sambal
• •1 tsp sugar, for sambal

Steps

1. 1 Combine the water, turmeric, coriander, garlic, shallots, ginger, salt, white pepper, lime leaves and lemongrass in a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes to release the aromatics.
2. 2 Add the chicken pieces and bring back to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through and a probe inserted into the thickest part reads 74°C / 165°F.
3. 3 Lift the chicken out and reserve 150 ml (about ⅔ cup) of the cooking liquid. Pat the chicken dry on a wire rack and let it rest and air-dry for at least 15 minutes at room temperature; drier pieces fry to a deeper gold.
4. 4 While the chicken dries, make the sambal: boil the chilies, shallots and garlic for 6 minutes until soft, then drain. Pound or blend with the toasted shrimp paste, salt, sugar and lime juice to a coarse paste. Taste and adjust salt or lime.
5. 5 Strain the reserved cooking liquid into a small pan and reduce over medium heat until thickened and sandy, about 5 to 7 minutes, to make the spice crumbs. Scrape out and let cool.
6. 6 Heat the oil in a wide pan to about 160°C / 320°F (a small piece of chicken should sizzle immediately). Fry the chicken in batches, skin-side down first, for 5 to 7 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp, and the internal temperature at the thickest point reads 74°C / 165°F.
7. 7 Drain the chicken on a wire rack and let it rest for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the reserved spice crumbs over the pieces and serve immediately with steamed rice and the sambal on the side.