Chicken Run

The title of this post is not mine. I borrow it from a 2000 British stop-motion animation made by the Aardman Animation studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films.

The film centers around a band of chickens, who seek a smooth-talking Rhode Island Red named Rocky as their only hope to escape from their certain death when the owners of their farm decide to move from selling eggs to selling chicken pot pies.

Why Chicken?

If there is one word that describes chicken, it is versatility. Roasted, broiled, grilled or poached, and combined with a wide range of herbs and spices, chicken makes a delicious, flavorful and nutritious meal. It is no wonder chicken is the world’s primary source of animal protein and a healthy alternative to red meat. It is available to enjoy throughout the year.

Very Good Source of Protein


Chicken is rated as a very good source of protein, providing 67.6% of the daily value for protein in 4 ounces. People who are meat eaters, but are looking for ways to reduce the amount of fat in their meals, can try eating more chicken. The leanest part of the chicken is the chicken breast, which has less than half the fat of a trimmed Choice grade T-bone steak and chicken is best skinned before cooking.


Chicken is a very popular food in Indonesia as well as throughout the world. And no wonder since it is delicious, nutritious and can be prepared a multitude of ways. From fried chicken to barbequed chicken to chicken satay to homemade chicken soup, chicken is appreciated and valued by people of all ages as well as by diverse cultural culinary traditions.



In Latin, the scientific name for chicken is Gallus domesticus.



How to select and store chicken

When purchasing whole chickens, look for ones that have a solid and plump shape with a rounded breast. Whether purchasing a whole chicken or chicken parts, the chicken should feel pliable when gently pressed, and it should not have an “off” smell. Do not buy chicken if the sell-by date on the label has already expired.

The color of the chicken’s skin, white or yellow, does not have any bearing on its nutritional value. Regardless of color, the skin should be opaque and not spotted.

Chicken should be stored in the coldest section of your refrigerator. If the store packaging is intact and secure, store it this way since this will reduce the amount of handling. If the packaging is not secure, and it seems as if the chicken liquids will leak, rewrap it securely before storing. This is very important to make sure that the chicken does not contaminate other foods in the refrigerator. Refrigerated raw chicken can keep for two to three days.

Indonesian Chicken Cuisine

Indonesian cuisine is one of the most vibrant and colourful cuisines in the world, full of intense flavour and varied textures. It’s as diverse as the Indonesian culture, with culinary influences from China, Europe and India.

Recipes for Indonesian-Inspired-Spicy-Chicken are easily made in any kitchen, by any level of cook and guaranteed to awaken your tastebud and spice up your life!

 
Mixed-Spicy-Shredded Chicken (Ayam Suwir Bumbu Rujak)

Ingredients

• 400 gram boneless, skinless chicken breast roasted for 10 minutes or until done. When cool, shred the meat by hand into fine strips
• 200 ml coconut milk

Ingredients for the spice paste

• 10 finger-length chilies, chopped
• 5 bird’s eye chilies, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of roasted shrimp paste
• 20 gram palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste

Put all ingredients in a mortar and using pestle, grind into spice paste

How to make:

• In a saucepan, combine the shredded chicken with the spice paste and mix well
• Add in the coconut milk
• Cook on medium heat until the coconut milk is evaporated
• Stir well until the shredded chicken is dry
• Remove from heat

Serve warm with rice


Galangal Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Lengkuas)

Ingredients:

• 1 kg whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 4 tablespoons shredded galangal
• 2 salam leaves or bay leaves as substitute
• 1 stalk lemon grass, bruised
• Oil for deep-frying

Ingredients for the Spices paste:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 5 shallots
• 3 candlenuts, roasted
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Salt and sugar to taste

Put all the ingredients in a mortar and using pestle grind into spice paste

How to make:

• Combine chicken with ground spices and shredded galangal and mix thoroughly.
• Heat oil in wok – or use a frying pan and fry the chicken.
• Add salam leaves and lemon grass.
• Cover the wok and fry over low heat, adding a little water if necessary.
• Cook the chicken until golden brown, then drain.

Authentic Indonesian Chicken Satay (Sate Ayam)

Ingredients:

• 7 Shallots
• 10 candle nuts, roasted
• 8 cloves of garlic
• Bamboo skewers (as needed)
• 3 kg chicken meat (cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 60 ml oil
• Salt (as needed)
• 2 cups (500ml) Indonesian sweet soy sauce
• 2 red chili peppers
• 16 bird’s eye chilies (optional)
• 1kg roasted peanuts (ground to a paste)
• 60ml lime juice

How to make:

• Grind shallot, garlic, candle nut, red chili pepper, and bird’s eye chilies to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a saucepan then sauté the paste until lightly brown.
• Add ground peanuts, 1 cup sweet soy sauce, salt and water.
• Mix well and slowly bring to a boil.
• Remove saucepan from heat and add lime juice.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Impale chicken pieces on bamboo skewers until 3/4 full.
• Marinate chicken satay for at least 2 hours with a quarter of the peanut sauce and 1 cup of sweet soy sauce.
• Sprinkle salt on satay before grilling.
• Grill satay for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally
• Serve with the peanut sauce and rice-cake (lontong)
• Garnish with cucumber & sliced shallots

Spicy Chicken Soup (Soto Ayam)

Ingredients :

• +/- 250 g chicken breast
• 3 tablespoons sliced onion
• 3 tablespoons sliced celery
• 1 stalk lemon grass, bruised
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 2000 ml water
• 2 tablespoons oil

Spices :

• 4 tablespoons sliced shallots
• 2 tablespoons sliced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon sliced turmeric
• 6 roasted candlenuts
• 1 teaspoon sliced ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Accompaniments :

• 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 250 g vermicelli, soaked in hot water
• 100 g bean sprouts, blanched
• 1 lime, sliced
• Fried sliced shallots, potato chips, sweet soy sauce

Sambal :

• 10 red chilies, boiled
• 1 teaspoon salt

How to make :

• boil the chicken breast until tender, take the chicken breast out. Deep fry until golden and cut into small pieces.
• Keep boiling the chicken stock until the stock remains 1000 ml.
• Blend all spices into a paste. Saute the paste with oil, add lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves until fragrant.
• Remove into the stockpot and continue boiling until well cooked.

How to Serve :

• arrange in a bowl : chicken vermicelli, bean sprouts, green onion, celery and eggs.
• Pour-in the hot soto soup, put on top the potato chips, sprinkle with fried shallots.
• Serve with soy sauce, sambal and sliced lime.
• To make sambal : boil 10 red chilies add salt then blend.

References:

• WHFoods
• ResepMasakanIndonesia
• Selera Nusantara