Ayam Bakar Tomato (Roast Tomato Chicken)

This is an adaptation by Hadi of another one of our childhood dishes - and beyond that even. This dish is a staple dinner, back home in Brunei. When in doubt, Ibu would just make this chicken as *everyone* likes it (although I prefer ayam bakar kuning myself). Although... I'm not sure if Ibu ever put so much turmeric in her chicken, if she put in any at all. This seems to be a combination of both ayam bakar tomato and ayam bakar kuning, just because of the large amount of turmeric in it. Not that I'm complaining. I love turmeric. ;) So... here we go!

What you need:
3 pieces chicken thighs

Marinade:
Tomato ketchup
Chicken stock (concentrate or powder)
Dash of soy sauce
Ground turmeric

What you do:

1. To make the marinade, combine 2 parts tomato ketchup with 1 part chicken stock and 1/2 part turmeric. For example, 2 tablespoons ketchup with 1 tablespoon chicken stock and 1/2 tablespoon turmeric. Multiply to get as much as you need to cover the chicken.
2. Rub the marinade onto the chicken and marinate for at least 3 hours.
3. Roast chicken in a 200 C oven for 40 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear.

Again, a typical roast recipe, marinate for as long as you can, then pop into the oven, heh. Hadi actually had the foresight to marinate the chicken early, which was a plus, but it seems like it wasn't enough. It was flavoursome, yes, but it didn't permeate throughout the chicken piece. Maybe that was because he used thighs. Ibu uses chicken wings (yummy!) which are small and don't take a long time to marinate.

Her chicken is also a bit more... well-done, shall we say. Ibu uses a convection oven where the heat source is much closer to the chicken, while we use a normal oven. What results is a sticky layer that coats the chicken *drool* Hadi's version isn't quite so sticky, but still clings nicely to the chicken, so all is well, hehe.

As for the taste of the chicken... well, I think it is not quite the same either, heh. This one has a LOT of turmeric. Hadi thought he put in a bit too much, but I loved it, hehe. I love turmeric, as I keep on saying. The chicken was very strongly flavoured - mainly salty (from the chicken stock) and turmeric-y, with a hint of tomato sauce. Sooooo yummy, hehe. All it needs is more marination, is all. :D :D :D

Quote of the day: We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.