Malaysian Restaurant Week: Cafe Asean

Chef Simpson Wong of Cafe Asean located at 117 W. 10th Street was here to help us celebrate Malaysian Restaurant Week and show us how to make Turmeric Roasted Chicken (Ayam Percik).

For a complete list of participating restaurants, visit www.malaysiakitchennyc.com.

You can check out our contest page to enter to win a gift win a $500 gift certificate to participating Malaysian restaurants.

Ayam Percik-Turmeric Roasted Chicken
by Chef Simpson Wong
Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
3 plus 2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 tablespoon of ginger (minced)
1 lb of water spinach (water convolvulus), cut into 1 inch lengths

For the marinade:
1 tablespoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder (optional)
3/4 tablespoon of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
6 tablespoons of canola oil
3 tablespoons of shallot (minced)
3 tablespoons of lemongrass (minced)
3 tablespoons of garlic (minced)
3 tablespoons of ginger (minced)
6 candlenuts (chopped)
1 teaspoon of chili paste
2 tablespoons of tamarind
1/2 cup of water
1 cup of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Rub the chicken thoroughly with the marinade and set aside for at least 2 hours.

2. To make the sauce, heat 6 tablespoons of oil to medium high heat. Add in shallot, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and candlenuts. Stir constantly to prevent mixture from burning. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add chili paste, water and coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Then add tamarind and lower the heat to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce, discard solid and set aside.

3. In a non-stick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil to medium heat. Place the chicken breasts skin side down on the skillet and cook for 4 minutes until the skin becomes crispy. Turn the chicken breasts over and immediately place them in a preheated oven at 375 C for another 5 to 6 minutes.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of ginger and sauté until it is fragrant. Add the water spinach. Turn heat to high and sauté until it is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

5. To serve, divide the sauce into 4 plates. Place the chicken breasts on the sauce and the water spinach next to the chicken. Serve with steamed jasmine rice. Make 4 servings.