Recipes › Ayam Kecap

Ayam Kecap

Ayam kecap is what gets cooked on a Tuesday when there is chicken in the fridge and not much time. Pieces of chicken are browned, then braised in kecap manis with shallots, garlic, ginger and a little chilli until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the meat. It is sweet, savoury and mild, which makes it the Indonesian dish most likely to please a table of children and adults at once.

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in, skin on
• 6 shallots, sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 cm fresh ginger, grated
• 2 red chillies, sliced (optional)
• 5 tablespoons kecap manis
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 300 ml water or chicken stock
• 2 tomatoes, quartered (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 spring onions, sliced, to serve

Method

1. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and white pepper. Dry skin browns properly; wet skin steams.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium high heat and brown the chicken on all sides, about 6 minutes. Work in batches if needed so the pieces are not crowded. Remove and set aside.
3. Lower the heat, add the shallots, garlic and ginger to the same pan and fry for 3 minutes until fragrant and beginning to colour.
4. Return the chicken, add the kecap manis, light soy sauce, sesame oil, chillies and water. Stir to coat.
5. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, turning the pieces once halfway.
6. Remove the lid, raise the heat and reduce the sauce for 5 to 8 minutes, spooning it over the chicken, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and glossy.
7. Add the tomatoes in the last two minutes if using, taste for salt, and scatter with spring onions.

Notes and tips

• Kecap manis is thick and sweet, closer to a syrup than to soy sauce. Ordinary soy sauce cannot substitute for it; if you have none, simmer 3 tablespoons of dark soy with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar until it thickens.
• Bone-in thigh gives a better sauce than breast. Breast goes stringy in a twenty-minute braise.
• The sauce reduces quickly at the end, so stay at the pan for the last few minutes.
• A squeeze of lime at the table cuts the sweetness and sharpens the whole dish.
• Leftover sauce is excellent over rice with a fried egg on top.

Questions

What is kecap manis and where do I buy it?

It is a sweetened Indonesian soy sauce, thick and dark, sold in Asian supermarkets and in most large Western supermarkets now. The best-known brand is ABC.

Can I make this with chicken breast?

Yes, but cut it into large chunks and add it only for the last 10 minutes of simmering so it does not dry out.

Is it sweet?

Yes, distinctly. That is the character of the dish. Reduce the kecap manis to three tablespoons and add a tablespoon of light soy if you want it drier.

How long does it keep?

Three days in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of water, as the sauce sets firm when cold.

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