Ayam Penyet (Singaporean style)

• servings: 4
• active time: 45 minutes
• total time: 2 hours

Ingredients

Chicken marinade/broth:

4 chicken legs or thighs (bone-in for best flavour)

4 cloves garlic

4 shallots

3 candlenuts (or substitute 6–8 cashews)

2 cm galangal

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

120 ml water (½ cup)

Batter:

150 ml of the leftover chicken cooking liquid

80 g rice flour

20 g corn flour

½ tsp baking powder

Sambal recipe:

6–8 red chilies

5 bird’s eye chilies

3 garlic

3 shallots

1 tomato

1 tsp toasted belacan/shrimp paste

1 tsp sugar

Salt + lime juice

Directions

Blend the garlic, shallots, candlenuts, galangal, coriander, turmeric, salt, sugar, and water into a smooth paste.

Pour the paste into a wok with 2 tbsp of oil, place chicken into the paste, then fry on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Flipping every minute. Now add in enough water to cover the chicken and simmer for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway.

remove the cooked chicken and strain the liquid

boil it till the volume reduces by half then season to taste with salt

whisk all the ingredients together, then dip the chicken into this wet batter, coating it well

deep fry at 180°C or 360°F till golden brown, remember that the chicken is already cooked so you're just crisping up the crust

serve with rice and sambal/chilli paste

Make the sambal (optional):

dry fry all the ingredients except the sugar salt and lime

pound the ingredients together into a rough paste then season with sugar salt and lime juice