Cooking Lesson.

Javanese Cooking

One of the best chicken dish based on Javanese cooking is Opor Ayam or Chicken Curry.  I love to cook the dish for my family because of its deliciousness, and it can be served two ways.  The fully cooked chicken before it is added with coconut milk is deliciously fresh and fragrant and served with white steamed rice. That chicken dish is named  Ayam Bumbu Rujak.  However, the last step to cook the chicken curry or Opor Ayam is to add coconut milk and bring to simmer, keep on simmering for 10 minutes.  Serve hot with rice.  The dish is creamier.
You have two choices, one way is served without added the coconut milk, and the other one is added.

You may like to try to cook this delicious Javanese dishes, for that, I invite you to follow me how to go about to cooking it, treat it as a Cooking Class
I am thinking of my three girls as well, often they ask me for recipes of Javanese cooking, they love the food and cooking them, but they want to be sure how to cook them properly.

Ayam Bumbu Rujak and Opor Ayam.
You need a Large whole Fresh Chicken

What herbs and spices do we need?

The Herbs and Spices

Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, lime or lemon and salam leaves and cinnamon stick.
(Turmeric, coriander seeds, onion, garlic, ginger, galangal, - make these ingredients into a fine paste add the juice of limes and mix well)

The cooking process

Sauteing the Spices
Pan-fry the paste with oil to release the fragrance and cook it for five minutes, add a little water to prevent of burning.

To butterfly the chicken

To butterfly a chicken, place it on a cutting board with the breast side down and the tail of the chicken facing you. Using kitchen shears, cut down the entire length of one side of the backbone. With the breast side still down, turn the chicken so that the neck end is facing you. Cut along the entire length of the other side of the backbone. Remove and discard the backbone. Turn the chicken over so that the breast side is up. Open the chicken out onto the cutting board. Flatten the chicken using the palm of your hand. (based on my recipe)

And This is what I did.

Cut the chicken through the backbone, flatten chicken using the palm of your hand.  Rub the spices in inside and outside of the chicken, place it on a casserole dish breast side up. Pour the rest of the spices over.

Add in the fresh leafy herbs, and drizzle with some oil.

The lemongrass, I used a few pieces that I picked of my garden, but if you buy good strong stem lemongrass from the shop one is enough. 

Fresh turmeric, ginger and galangal can be purchased in the market.

How do I cook it?

This Javanese cooking is cooked my way. The cooking is a braising method which is done inside the oven.  Traditionally in Java, the braising is done on top of the stove or on an open wood fire.

Braise in the Oven

Put the lid on and cook in the hot oven at 200 degrees C for 33 minutes.  Let it be and do not disturb the chicken, continue cooking over a lower hat at 155 degrees C for one hour.

To Serve: Two Ways

Ayam Bumbu Rujak

The Chicken is Cooked.  Cut to small pieces, and serve with the juices.  This dish without coconut milk is so delicious.  You could stop here, and the dish is named Ayam Bumbu Rujak. It is so good as the fragrant of the herbs and spices stand out well and very flavoursome.

OR

Continue Cooking. Add a tin of coconut milk, stir in and mix with the juices,  pour into the chicken, cook, bring it to simmer let it simmer for 10 minutes.  Now the cooking has done.  The dish is named Opor Ayam (Curry Chicken in mild sauce,  Javanese Style).  The opor ayam is creamy because of the coconut milk.  Check the seasoning, you may need to add salt.

My cooking technique to cook the dish is not the same as the Javanese tradition. First, would seal the chicken in oil, followed by braising, which is done on top of the fire or stovetop.
I do it my way, it is braised in the oven, a practical approach it is more comfortable and less messy. The result is good.

Continue Cooking - Opor Ayam

 Cut the chicken to small pieces.  Add and mix a tin of coconut milk to the juice of the chicken.

Cook to simmer, and let it simmer for ten minutes.

 Check the seasoning, you may need extra salt and add a little brown sugar. Add fried shallots

Serving the Opor Ayam: A piece of chicken with the sauce.

.

The Garnishes
Serve with steamed white rice, garnished with  acar (fresh pickled cucumber)

The Quantities and Ingredients.

Here they are.

Recipe
Susy Ayam Bumbu Rujak-Opor Ayam
A sizeable fresh chicken no 22
2 fresh lime
1 tablespoon salt
(Wash the chicken, pat to dry and form the backbone cut the chicken, rub with lime juice and the salt)

Herb and Spices
To make the paste
Place all ingredients to a blender to make a paste
- one sizeable peeled onion, chopped
-5 clove garlic, peeled
- small ginger, as big as a walnut
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Laos or galangal powder* (you could use the fresh one, please continue reading)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

Other herb and spices
1/2 cinnamon stick, 1 lemongrass, *a small piece of fresh galangal (as big as a thumb), and 5 kaffir lime leaves and 2 Daun salam (salam leaves-Javanese herb)
Vegetable Oil.
Method
Saute the spice paste in oil over medium-hot until fragrant, add a little water to moisten.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Add more liquid to make the paste has a saucy consistency.  Keep aside to cool.

The chicken
Wash and Dry the chicken, butterfly the chicken by cutting through the backbone.
Rub the chicken with the cold cooked spices inside and outside.  Place the chicken in a baking dish, breast sides up, now pour the rest of the spices over and drizzle with a little oil.  Put the fresh herbs, cinnamon stick,  other ingredients over the chicken.  Place the lid on and cook in the hot oven at 200 degrees C for 33 minutes.  After that, lower the heat to 155 degrees C  and keep on cooking for 1 hour.
Leave the cooked chicken rest in the oven (the heat is completely off) for one hour. You will find flavoursome juices around the chicken after the resting.

Take the dish out, and you could serve this in room temperature with steamed white rice.  You have the Ayam Bumbu Rujak-the dish no 1.

Add a tin of coconut milk onto the chicken, cook on the stovetop to simmer for 10 minutes.  Now, you have the Opor Ayam-the dish no 2.

Notes:
Please look to the pictures above for easy reference
How to make acar and how to cook rice, please look on older posts
Shopping: all ingredients are readily available at Asian Grocery Store, Supermarkets and Markets.
Cooking Utensil: a large casserole dish or la Creuset pot.
Heavy Thick Mitton is required.


The Lesson is Over, I hope you learnt well, enjoy the recipe.   Happy Cooking and Have Fun!

Shortly, I may be able to share about how to cook eggplants Javanese Style.  Stay Tuned.

Quotes about food.

"A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness"  Elsa Schiaparelli.

"People who love to eat are always the best people." Julia Child

Let me know how you went with the cooking, did you like it!
Susy

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Special message to my  Girls, now I want you to have fun to cook the delicious Javanese cooking, I think the recipe is easy to follow, and the ingredients are readily available in supermarkets or markets. You will have no problems to find everything for cooking Javanese food in the Netherlands, Jane.
Enjoy the recipe, have fun and happy cooking to you, Susan, Jane and Melanie!  Love you all! xx

I remember vividly when you Melanie, lived in Japan, lots of time to ring me asked for the recipe on how to cook rice.  (Oh dear, what, have I done!). Thanks for the rice cooker now! But your dedication in cooking is amazingly good that makes you a better cook, and you love cooking for the family.  Every day you are very busy with work-teaching is lots of responsibilities, but one day during the school holiday you may try to cook these Javanese dishes, and the recipe is here, ready for you.

MUM💗