Rendang Ayam (Spiced Chicken Rendang)

Name: Rendang Ayam (Spiced Chicken Rendang)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 6-8
Ingredients: 1 (3-4-lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces by your butcher; 5 dried chiles de arbol, stemmed and roughly chopped; 3 shallots, roughly chopped; 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, interior layers finely chopped; 1 (3″-piece) ginger, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise; 1 (2″-piece) fresh or frozen turmeric, peeled and thinly sliced, or 1 tbsp. ground turmeric; 3 tbsp. peanut oil; 6 cardamom pods, cracked open; 6 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves; 4 whole star anise; 2 sticks cinnamon; 2 1 ⁄ 2 cups coconut milk; 1 tsp. sugar; Kosher salt, to taste

Serves
serves 6-8

TODD COLEMAN

This flavorful Malaysian-style chicken curry is a braise in reverse: The chicken is cooked in coconut milk flavored with spices and begins to brown when most of the liquid cooks away, creating a beautifully caramelized exterior. This recipe first appeared in our October 2011 issue along with Jayanthi Daniel's article Hungry City.

Ingredients

1 (3-4-lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces by your butcher
5 dried chiles de arbol, stemmed and roughly chopped
3 shallots, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, interior layers finely chopped
1 (3″-piece) ginger, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
1 (2″-piece) fresh or frozen turmeric, peeled and thinly sliced, or 1 tbsp. ground turmeric
3 tbsp. peanut oil
6 cardamom pods, cracked open
6 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves
4 whole star anise
2 sticks cinnamon
2 ¹⁄₂ cups coconut milk
1 tsp. sugar
Kosher salt, to taste

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Instructions

Step 1

Cut chicken: Cut each breast crosswise into 3 pieces, and halve each thigh, drumstick, and wing piece, discarding wing tips, to produce 18 pieces total; set aside. Combine chiles, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, and 1⁄4 cup water in a small food processor, and process until a smooth paste forms; set spice paste aside.

Step 2

Heat oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium heat; add cardamom, lime leaves, star anise, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add spice paste, and cook, stirring often, until caramelized and the oil begins to separate from the paste, 8-10 minutes. Add coconut milk, sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until reduced by a third, about 20 minutes. Add chicken, stirring to coat in sauce, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is the consistency of thick pea soup, about 1 1⁄2-2 hours.

Step 3

Continue to cook, stirring constantly to prevent sauce and chicken from burning, until sauce and chicken turn a dark caramel color and the sauce coats the chicken, about 20 minutes. Discard whole spices before serving.

Cut chicken: Cut each breast crosswise into 3 pieces, and halve each thigh, drumstick, and wing piece, discarding wing tips, to produce 18 pieces total; set aside. Combine chiles, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, and 1⁄4 cup water in a small food processor, and process until a smooth paste forms; set spice paste aside.
Heat oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium heat; add cardamom, lime leaves, star anise, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add spice paste, and cook, stirring often, until caramelized and the oil begins to separate from the paste, 8-10 minutes. Add coconut milk, sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until reduced by a third, about 20 minutes. Add chicken, stirring to coat in sauce, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is the consistency of thick pea soup, about 1 1⁄2-2 hours.
Continue to cook, stirring constantly to prevent sauce and chicken from burning, until sauce and chicken turn a dark caramel color and the sauce coats the chicken, about 20 minutes. Discard whole spices before serving.