Indonesian Coconut Curry Chicken Wings Recipes

INDONESIAN COCONUT CURRY CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• Combine the cinnamon, shallots, lemongrass, cilantro stems, garlic and ginger in a large bowl. Finely grate the zest of the limes into the bowl (reserve the limes separately) and stir in the coconut milk. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the coconut mixture separately, then add the chicken wings to the bowl with the remainder and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the pickle: Combine the shallots, cucumber, carrot and 1 tablespoon salt in a medium bowl. Carefully pour 3 cups boiling water over the vegetables, then stir to mix evenly and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander, pressing gently to remove excess liquid, then transfer to a bowl. Add the vinegar, sugar, chile and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use, at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add the wings with their marinade, return to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a paring knife inserted in the middle of a wing comes out with no resistance, about 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the wings to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, season liberally with salt and let air-dry while you make the dipping sauce.
• For the dipping sauce: Place the reserved 1 1/2 cups aromatics and coconut milk in a medium sauce pan over medium heat; stir in 1 cup water and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender, along with three-quarters of the cilantro leaves and the juice of the reserved limes; puree until smooth. Pour the coconut dipping sauce into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and let cool completely.
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 425 degrees F. Working in 2 batches, fry the wings, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer the wings with a slotted spoon to a clean rack set over a baking sheet and season with more salt. (Make sure the oil returns to the proper temperature between batches.)
• Transfer the wings to a serving platter and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately with coconut dipping sauce and cucumber and carrot pickles.

COCONUT-CURRY FRIED WINGS

Steps:

• Coconut-Curry Spice Blend: In a medium bowl, mix together toasted coconut flakes, sumac, curry powder, ginger, onion powder, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne until evenly combined. Set aside. Makes 1½ cups. (Store leftover spice blend in an airtight container, unrefrigerated, indefinitely.)
• Cure chicken: In a bowl, add onion powder, salt, and mustard powder, and mix until well blended. Add the chicken wings to a large bowl, sprinkle with about half the curing mixture, and get in there with your hands to coat each piece well. (Note: This is enough cure for 8 whole wings or 1 whole chicken, so you won't need to use all of it. Save it in an airtight container for next time!) On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange the coated wings in a single layer, keeping the skin intact; lightly cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Bring the cured chicken to room temperature. (You don't want to fry ice-cold chicken, because it won't cook all the way through, and it will chill the frying oil.) Meanwhile, make the batter: In a large bowl, add the cornstarch, flour, and salt. Slowly pour in the cold water, whisking continuously, until the mixture is smooth and the consistency of thin pancake batter. Add more water as needed to thin the batter.
• Heat oil: Clip a candy or deep fry thermometer onto a large, heavy pot. Add enough canola oil to fully submerge the wings-about halfway up the side of the pot. (Oil expands as it heats, so don't overfill the pot.) Heat the oil over low heat until it reaches at least 300 F. (It's fine if the oil temperature goes up as high as 350 F, because it will drop once the chicken is added.) Coat chicken: Separate each wing into two pieces by slicing through the joint between the drumette and the flat. When the oil is hot, add all the chicken into the batter and fully coat each piece.
• First fry: Use tongs to pick up a wing and allow some of the excess batter to drip off. Gently swirl the tip of the wing in the hot oil to set the crust; this will prevent the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Then, ease the rest of the wing into the oil. Repeat with all the wings. Fry for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to make sure the wings don't stick together or to the bottom of the pot. If they do stick, gently separate them with the spoon; try not to tear the delicate crust!
• After 10 minutes, use the slotted spoon to transfer the wings to drain on a wire rack or paper towels on a baking sheet. The chicken will not be fully cooked-there's a second fry. Let the chicken rest, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the oil to just above 350 F (temperature will drop slightly when the chicken is added). Use the slotted spoon to remove and discard stray bits of batter from the oil. (Note: The wings can be made to this point up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated; bring them back to room temperature before the second fry.)
• Second fry: When the oil is hot, fry the wings again by gently easing them into the oil with the slotted spoon. Fry for 4 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
• Use the slotted spoon to transfer the chicken wings to drain on a clean wire rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle Coconut-Curry Spice Blend onto all sides of the chicken. Reserve any spice blend on the bottom of the tray to reuse on more chicken. Serve immediately. (Note: Frying oil can be reused several more times for frying chicken. Cool the oil completely, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean jar. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)

OPOR AYAM (INDONESIAN CHICKEN CURRY)

Steps:

• In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the coriander seeds for 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool, then grind in a spice grinder.
• In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove shallots to a food processor and set aside. Add the garlic cloves and candlenuts to the same pan and cook, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and candlenuts to the shallots in the food processor along with the kaempferia galanga root, white pepper and 2 tablespoons water; purée into a paste.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil in the sauté pan over medium heat and add the ginger, galangal, lemongrass, salam leaves and lime leaves, scrunching the lime leaves in your hands as you drop them into the pot. Allow to cook until the ingredients start to smell less intense and raw, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir the ground coriander seeds, shallot paste mixture and tomato into the pan. Reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the coconut milk, a little at a time, to keep the sauce from breaking. When all the coconut milk is incorporated and the mixture is gently simmering, add the chicken stock. Nestle the chicken into the pan and spoon some of the sauce over the top. Cover and cook on low heat for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the dish is aromatic. You may have to adjust the heat to keep the mixture at a gentle simmer. (Do not boil.) Season to taste with salt. Before serving, remove the galangal, ginger, lemongrass, salam and makrut leaves. Serve with rice.

INDIAN COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep pan. Stir in mustard seeds and cook until seeds have been sputtering for 20 seconds; add cumin seeds. Stir in red chile and asafoetida. Add onion and fry for 2 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, ginger, and turmeric powder and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in curry leaves, chili powder, and black pepper and cook until onions are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add chicken to the pan and fry until almost cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in coriander powder and mix well. Pour in coconut milk; bring to a boil. Add tamarind paste and salt; mix well. Add garam masala; reduce heat and let simmer, adding water as necessary, until curry reaches desired consistency and chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes more.