Ayam Goreng

The Method for Ayam Goreng

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1. Blend the shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal and candlenuts to a paste.

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2. Fry the paste in the 2 tbsp of oil for 5 minutes, until fragrant and darker.

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3. Add the chicken, lemongrass, lime leaves, coriander, salt and water.

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4. Simmer covered for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

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5. Lift the chicken out and leave it to dry on a rack for 15 minutes.

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6. Boil the poaching liquid down to about 150 ml, then whisk in the rice flour and beaten egg.

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7. Heat the frying oil to 180°C / 355°F.

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8. Fry the chicken in batches for 5 minutes, until deep gold. Drain on a rack.

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9. Drizzle the thickened liquid into the hot oil in a thin stream; it will set into crisp golden crumbs in about 40 seconds.

   Mark done Start 40 sec timer

10. Lift the crumbs out with a fine strainer and scatter them over the chicken.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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What Can Go Wrong

1. Poach first — that is how the seasoning gets inside.
2. Dry the chicken on a rack before it goes in the oil.
3. Do not throw the poaching liquid away. It becomes the kremes.

Ingredient Swaps

• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

A Little Background

The chicken is poached in the spice paste before frying, which seasons it all the way through — battered fried chicken is only seasoned on the surface. Then the leftover poaching liquid, reduced and dropped into the hot oil, sets into the crisp golden crumbs called kremes, which are scattered over. Most recipes throw that liquid away and lose the best part.

What to Serve It With

Steamed rice · Sambal terasi · Raw cucumber and basil

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Sayur Lodeh.

Keeping Ayam Goreng

Keeps 2 days refrigerated. Re-crisp in a hot oven for 8 minutes.

Common Questions

Ayam Goreng Nutrition Facts

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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