Ayam Percik — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Chicken marinated in a luscious coconut-chili-turmeric paste, grilled slowly over charcoal, and basted continuously with the marinade until the skin is caramelized and the flesh is infused with smoky sweetness.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, halved
200ml coconut milk
6 dried red chilies, soaked
4 shallots
3 cloves garlic
2cm turmeric, fresh
2cm galangal
1 stalk lemongrass
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp tamarind juice
Salt
Banana leaves for wrapping

Instructions

1 Blend dried chilies, shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, and lemongrass into a smooth paste.
2 Mix the spice paste with coconut milk, ground coriander, cumin, brown sugar, tamarind juice, and salt.
3 Marinate chicken halves in the mixture for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
4 Grill chicken slowly over medium charcoal heat, basting every 5 minutes with the marinade.
5 Continue grilling and basting for 40-50 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skin is deeply caramelized.
6 The chicken should be charred at the edges with a glossy, sticky coating. Serve with the remaining heated marinade.

Did You Know?

In Kelantan, ayam percik stalls at Ramadan bazaars are judged by the height of their charcoal flames and the drama of their basting technique — it's as much performance as cooking.