The Tasty Technique That Makes Indonesian Fried Chicken Irresistibly Crispy

Crunchy on the outside, juicy in the center, and suffused with gentle spice, chowing down on Indonesian fried chicken is a mouthwatering experience. And the thing that makes it taste so irresistibly crispy and packed with flavor from the inside out? The technique. This popular dish known as Ayam Goreng, is cooked twice; first simmered in spiced water and then deep fried.

A regular batch of American-style fried chicken is often steeped in a simple buttermilk marinade to tenderize it before its dipped in seasoned flour and deep fried until golden. This is why most of the flavor comes from its crunchy exterior. However, with Ayam Goreng, all the flavor comes from a spiced broth that the chicken is simmered in. This broth features a pungent paste of aromatics, such as garlic, galangal, shallots, and ginger with lemongrass, coriander seeds, turmeric, and salt, that lend the chicken a deep savory quality and a sunshine yellow color.

Once the simmering liquid is almost evaporated and the chicken cooked through, the pieces are fried on all sides (or even barbecued street-food style) so the skin can crisp up and develop an inviting golden-yellow hue. In some Ayam Goreng recipes the chicken is coated in cornstarch or breadcrumbs prior to frying to create a craggier crust that's closer in texture to Southern fried chicken. With both techniques, the result is crunchy bone-in pieces of chicken that are dotted with spice paste and imbued with flavor all the way through to the middle. 

One of the benefits of simmering the chicken portions before deep frying them is that you can get half of the job out of the way in advance, making Ayam Goreng an awesome make-ahead recipe. Then once you're ready to eat, you can simply fry the chicken (coating it in flour first if preferred) until the center is heated through and the exterior is beautifully crisp. Furthermore, because the chicken is already cooked you can turn the heat up to high to help develop an uber-crispy crust without worrying that the interior will be underdone.

Simmering the chicken in an aromatic broth also provides the perfect opportunity to load it up with heaps of flavor (much like the brining process used to flavor a Thanksgiving turkey, the chicken absorbs all the spices and salt so its extra succulent and juicy once cooked). Some recipes even combine fragrant coconut milk in the spice paste to infuse it with a complex sweetness that tones down the heat of the galangal and ginger. Plus, the color from the turmeric added to the braising liquid lends the chicken a signature brightness and inviting aesthetic that sets it apart from other styles of fried chicken around the globe.