Ayam Percik – by Datin Nik Zaharah

Ayam Percik.can be prepared in many ways. The original Ayam percik recipe hails from Kelantan, but even in Kelantan, the method of preparation varies from place to place and from families to families.

Traditionally, Ayam percik is served together with rice. The Malays like to eat their rice served with a few other dishes laid together in different plates or containers.

Traditionally the food is served in a big round tray or dulang and everybody gathers around it. The Malays like to enjoy the meals with their family members, and family members are therefore encouraged to sit together during meal time.

It is normal to see adults and children sitting together to enjoy their meals. Passing round the dishes, so that every body get to savor the different dishes, is observed during meal time among the traditional Malays.

Rice being the main staple food, it is usually eaten more than once a day. In Kelantan, especially rice is taken for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with different assortment of lauk-pauk or combination of different dishes to suit the time of the day when rice is consumed.

In Kelantan, Ayam percik is served with Nasi kerabu or Nasi minyak.

The Ingredients:

1 Chicken
10 shallots
¼ “ ginger
Thumb-size tamarind
2 tbsp.sugar
1 coconut
2 tbsp.salt.

Method:

1.Clean the chicken and cut into two.
2.Slash the chicken skin across the chicken breast and brush with salt which has been pounded with a little ginger and 1 shallot.
3.Scrape the coconut and squeeze out about 1 glass of thick milk.
4.Strain the milk and add in the remaining ginger and shallot which has been grounded finely, tamarind and sugar. Mix thoroughly (using your fingers)
5.Dip the brushed chicken into the mixture and put into grill turning it from time to time until done.
6.In the meantime cook the remaining coconut mixture over slow fire stirring it all the time until thick.
7.Pour the sauce spoonful at a time on the chicken and continue grilling, turning it from side to side until all the sauce had been used up and the chicken a deep golden color.

Decorate with parsley and red cillies.