Ayam Percik

If you are feeling lazy & rushed as I often do....Ayam Percik is the answer. I dumped all the ingredients in a pot to make the gravy and let the oven bake my chicken for me. The results were astounding. Everyone had more than three helpings each! You can look good without doing much actually! Haahaa!

Marinade for chicken (Ingredients to blend) :

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 inch ginger
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp salt

Method for Percik Chicken:

1. Smother marinade ingredients all over the chicken.
2. Let it rest with the marinade for an hour, covered in the refrigerator.
3. Place the marinated chicken on a pyrex dish in a preheated 180º C oven.
4. Pour a ladleful of percik gravy over the chicken. Continue basting every 15 minutes or when the gravy looks a little dry on top..
5. Depending on the size of the chicken, your whole Ayam Percik should be ready within 1 1/2 hours. If you are baking cut up pieces, it should take about 45 minutes.
6. Barbecue will give a lovelier flavour to the chicken. Grilling is ok too but will dry the gravy faster....so keep topping up the gravy.
7. You will most likely not use up all the gravy, so when serving, put the gravy at the side for those who want additional gravy.


Ingredients to blend for Percik Gravy:

1 large onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger
3 stalks lemongrass
1/2 palm-sized galangal
1 thumb-sized turmeric root
1 handful dried chillies, deseeded & soaked in hot water

Other ingredients for Percik Gravy:

4 cups coconut milk
1/2 tube palm sugar
1 tbsp tamarind, mixed with 1 cup of water, drained for juice
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Method for Percik Gravy:

1. While the chicken is resting, boil all the gravy ingredients in a pot, on low fire.
2. Stir occasionally and continue boiling for about 30 minutes or until gravy thickens slightly.
3. Leave it to rest until the chicken is ready for baking.