Opor ayam

Indonesian cuisine is not complicated. At least, not if you know which ingredients you need, where to buy them and how to use them. And if you also get step-by-step explanations in words and images, your Indonesian rice table can’t go wrong. You’ll find all of this in the recently published Basisboek Indonesisch by Francis Kuijk, from which this recipe for stewed chicken with coconut comes.

Francis: ‘This is a great recipe if you want to get acquainted with Indonesian cuisine. It has an exotic and complex flavour, without the heat of chillies. It’s also perfect for making with beef instead of chicken. Make sure the piece of meat you use isn’t too lean and adjust the cooking time.’

1. Make a boemboe from the onion, garlic, candlenuts, trassi, coriander, cumin and turmeric.

2. Rub the chicken with the boemboe and leave the marinade to infuse for 30 minutes.

3. Pour a thin layer of sunflower oil into a pan and sear the chicken. Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves, ginger, pepper, salt and 500 ml of the water.

4. Bring the water to the boil, then lower the heat and cook the chicken for approximately 15 minutes. Add a little extra water if necessary.

5. Add the coconut cream and cook the sauce until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Title: Basisboek Indonesisch
Author: Francis Kuijk
Publisher: Good Cook
Price: €30.95