Indonesian Food Adventures

Magadip.

Magadip magadip magadip.

Tee hee.

Funny name? Yes. Delicious chicken? Ohhh yes.

Jared and I have gone adventuring in the wonderful world of Indonesian food. We know nothing about it, except that everything we've tried has been delicious. This chicken dish was last night's dinner (and today's lunch, for the lucky woman at home. The working man gets sandwiches and potato salad, which isn't such a bad fate, but still nothing compared to Indonesian chicken.).

You're supposed to use whole cumin and coriander seeds, but I didn't have them. Oh well, this is where the substitutionary magic comes in.

Magadip (Aromatic Chicken from Madura)

3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1 inch fresh ginger root, grated
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
generous pinch ground cloves
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and sugar. Toss in large bowl and let sit about 10 minutes.

In food processor, mince together onion and ginger root. (Or you can chop them finely with a chef's knife.) Add spices to onion mixture and blend well. Inhale fragrance and imagine you are in Indonesia. Add broth gradually, blending well with each addition.

Heat oil in large skillet (one with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and any juices they have released. Listen to the delightful sizzle.

Pour onion mixture over chicken and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cover skillet with lid. Cook 50-60 minutes, until chicken is very tender.

To serve, I removed the chicken pieces with tongs, then strained the cooking liquid and returned the onion-spice goodness to the skillet; I added a little bit of water and some salt, then reduced it to a delicious sauce. With rice and a green salad, this made us very happy campers.