Page 48 - Cuisine & Wine Asia 2020 - Mar/Apr 2020 Issue
P. 48
So considering how easy it is to get access to
鸡 chicken, does that mean chicken is easy to cook?
Not exactly. As we talk to Chef Raymond Khoo,
不 Executive Chef of The Peranakan, and tuck into
a dish of ‘ayam goreng’, we realise that even the
可 most common dish needs care to bring the best
out of the dish. The chicken, for example, can
失 dry out when not fried with proper care, and the
natural juiciness of the bird can disappear then.
“Really, it’s all about the temperature of the oil
that’s used when cooking,” he demurs, when
w e discuss how the ‘ayam
goreng’ he’s made
is crispy, but
juicy. “Once
the oil is hot
en o u gh ,
put the
ch i ck en
in for 4
mi n u tes,
and that’s
all you
need. Once
you get the
right temperature,
don’t over fry it.”
His ‘ayam goreng’ is marinated with European
coriander, which is stronger, and was traditionally
used by Peranakan families in Malacca to cook.
He also bring out an ‘ayam pongteh’ that we are
startled to hear is made with Heura vegan chicken,
a plant-based meat that absorbs the sweetness of
the gravy in the ‘ayam' pongteh. "This pongteh
is a little light on the tongue,” Chef Khoo
explains. A surprising note is that the chef and his
team have been hosting full vegetarian/vegan Tok
Panjang specials within the restaurant, which is the
only Peranakan restaurant to do so. This means
that it is possible to replace chicken with vegan
substitutes for a healthier, more inclusive meal.
However, not all substitutions, vegan or otherwise,
can replace some chicken dishes. “Some people
would replace the chicken in the buak keluak dish with
pork,” Chef Khoo says, while wincing. “The flavours
5. Chef Raymond Khoo aren’t so nice. The pork changes the whole taste of
6. ayam buak keluak the buak keluak. The chicken, at the very least, still
7.Heura 'ayam' pongteh
pg047 8. ayam goreng retains the original flavour. So we still use chicken
in certain dishes to present the best flavours.”
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