Ayam Penyet (Javanese Smashed Fried Chicken with Sambal)
Ayam penyet - meaning 'smashed chicken' in Javanese - is an East Javanese street dish where the chicken is deliberately flattened with a pestle after frying. First braised in turmeric-galangal water until cooked through, then deep-fried until the skin blisters and turns mahogany. The final smash on a stone mortar cracks the crust open, exposing the moist interior and creating irregular surfaces that catch the sambal. That sambal - pounded fresh from bird's eye chili, shallot, tomato, and shrimp paste - is the true centerpiece, fiercely hot and funky. Served on a banana leaf with steamed rice, fried tofu, and raw vegetables, it is a full meal assembled in street-stall speed.
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Instructions
- 1
Simmer chicken legs with salt, ginger, and garlic for 15 minutes.
- 2
Drain and pat dry the par-cooked chicken.
- 3
Deep-fry chicken at 180°C until crisp and golden.
- 4
Pound chili, garlic, salt, and lime juice into sambal.
- 5
Lightly smash the fried chicken and serve with sambal.
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