The Saturday Kitchen – Easy Balinese Roast Chicken (Ayam Betutu)

I’m almost apologetic posting yet another Bali inspired recipe, but let me say first that the cuisine of Bali is quite different from the rest of Indonesia. While it features the same kind of ingredients, the Balinese use them in a way that results in distinctly different flavours. It’s a bit more earthy, less fiery, and the flavours of the individual ingredients are somehow a bit more pronounced. Another distinct difference in the cuisine of Bali is that it includes pork, as most Balinese are Hindus, whilst the rest of Indonesia is predominantly Muslim.

So that said, here is my latest offering — an easy to make Balinese-style Roast Chicken, or Ayam Betutu. The original recipe requires the chicken to be marinated, wrapped in opor leaves, steamed for over an hour, then roasted for another hour or so. Like with the babi guling, I have taken the pretty elaborate recipe and whittled it down to something I can make easily, while (hopefully) maintaining all the flavours. The only lengthy process is the marinating. What I did was to marinate it in the morning, leave it to soak and roast it just before dinner.