Ayam Penyet 印尼爪哇香料炸鸡

Ayam penyet is actually a Javanese cuisine but now it is commonly found in most south east Asia countries. Ayam penyet also meaning smashed chicken because the after fried chicken has to be smashed with a pestle to make the meat softer. The chicken meat should turns out merely dried and crispy due to the double frying technique. And this is what makes the whole dish so special about. Pretty interesting, right ! So, here's what I did.

Ingredients :
2 whole chicken leg, wash & rinsed
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2  shallots, smashed
1/2"  ginger, smashed
water to cover the chicken for boiling
1 cup  corn flour mixed with 1 cup rice flour

Ingredients for marinade paste :
1/2 TB  cumin powder, toasted
1 TB     fennel powder, toasted
1-1/2 TB     coriander powder, toasted
2 tspn    turmeric powder, toasted
2 stalk  lemongrass, (take only the white part)
2"   ginger
5  gloves  garlic
1 TB   brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste
(Note : mix together ginger, garlic and lemongrass and pound to fine paste)
 
Method :
(1)  preheat wok with just enough water to cover the chicken, add in star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, garlic & ginger and bring it to boil.
(2)  later on, add in chicken meat and let to simmer over low heat till totally cooked.
(3)  remove chicken from boiling stock and set aside let to cool.
(4)  at the same time, combine sugar, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and fennel powder into a big bowl then stir in 1/2 cup of chicken stock from the previous boiling stock and mix well.
(5)  now, marinade chicken with salt & pepper then squeeze in the garlic, lemongrass & ginger juice.
(6)  at the same time, add in the spicy mixture to marinade the chicken as well and let to rest for 2-3 hours or best overnight.
(7)  once its ready,  preheat wok with just enough cooking oil for frying.

(8)  now, coat the marinated chicken meat with corn flour & rice flour mixture then fry till golden brown.
(9)  discharge chicken from the heat and smashed chicken with a pestle on a chopping board.
(10)  again, fry chicken for the second round till dry and crispy.
(11)  after that fry the leftover ginger & garlic mixture till brown as well.

Now, this is the chicken meat after fried for the second round. Absolutely, gorgeous and aromatic !

It even merrier after adding in the fried ginger & garlic. This great dish normally serve with pounded hot sambal belacan paste you guys will love it too !