I’ve never been to Indonesia, but like many Asian places,  it fascinates me.   Way too long ago, David Rosengarten had a show on satays, in which he highlighted the variety of cooking styles in Indonesia, a reflex of the huge number of populated islands forming the country: more than 6,000!   It is hard to imagine! I would be thrilled enough to visit just one:  Java… 😉

The Barefoot Contessa was the inspiration for last Sunday’s dinner: Indonesian Ginger Chicken. I’m fond of poultry marinated in soy, so her recipe  got my full attention (even if I did roll my eyes  when I read her endorsement of it: “Lauren Bacall gets cranky if we are sold out….” )

INDONESIAN GINGER CHICKEN
(adapted from Ina Garten)

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated ginger
1 chicken, quartered
Parsnips, peeled and cut in large pieces

Heat the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan, until the honey melts and the sauce is smooth. Let it cool, and pour over the chicken arranged on a baking dish, skin side down.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and marinate overnight in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 350F.  Place the dish in the oven, still covered, and cook for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil, turn the chicken skin side up, add the pieces of parsnips around the chicken, making sure to coat them with some of the sauce forming at the bottom of the dish. Increase the oven temperature to 375F and continue baking for at least 30 minutes, until parsnips are tender, and the chicken is fully cooked.  The sauce should be very dark brown.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I modified the recipe  to increase the cooking time, add some parsnips and reduce the garlic.   I’m in the minority, I know,  but I dislike the over-use of  garlic.   And here’s another shocker, the parsnips were as good as the chicken itself.  We couldn’t stop eating them!  Lastly, the side portions of lemony asparagus brightened the whole meal,  to round out a delicious Sunday dinner.