Ayam Bakar Solo: Solonese Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken is enjoyed throughout Indonesia and comes in different regional varieties. This recipe comes from the city of Solo, and uses a spice blend that incorporates sweet soy sauce and Indonesian bay leaves.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 medium-sized chicken, portioned into 4
- 6 shallots, peeled, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
- 3 candlenuts, chopped
- 3 cm turmeric, peeled, chopped
- 2 cm ginger, peeled, chopped
- 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
- 0.5 tsp whole white peppercorns
- 2 Indonesian bay leaves (salam leaf)
- 1 lemongrass, use only the white part, bruised, knotted
- 3 cm galangal, bruised
- 0.5 tbsp palm sugar, saved
- 4 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- Salt to taste
- 400 ml water
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- 1
Using a blender or food processor, blend into a fine paste the: shallots, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric, ginger, white peppercorns and coriander.
- 2
Heat the cooking oil in a wok over medium high heat.
- 3
Sautee the spice paste, bay leaves, lemongrass and galangal until fragrant, around 3 minutes.
- 4
Add palm sugar, soy sauce and salt.
- 5
Add water, stir well.
- 6
Add the chicken, then mix it with the spices thoroughly.
- 7
Cover the wok and reduce the heat to medium low.
- 8
Continue cooking for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is done and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- 9
Grill the chicken until it is slightly charred.
- 10
Serve immediately.