ayam pongteh

wasn’t sure what to cook for teban gardens community meal today.

this my 5th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre (CSC).

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens CSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

ayam pongteh

my first 3 were pork dishes.

the last was the very popular red fermented bean curd cloud fungus mushroom chicken prepared by my helper.

so i thought maybe continue some chicken dishes.

also i wasn’t sure if there would be a breakfast today because of the chinese new year period. last evening i whatsapp R the centre executive director & she said they were having lo hei this morning to celebrate CNY.

they would still have bee hoon & porridge so if i do a chicken dish it would be fine.

ayam pongteh

i have never done an ayam (chicken) pongteh.

but i did my very first babi pongteh on 21nov2015.

so recipe would be just the same except that i substituted belly pork with cut chicken & also increased the quantity (this serving to 80-100pax).

ayam pongteh

so this time i used –

• one-and-a-half 1.5kg chicken from sheng shiong
• 10 chopped shallots
• 4 cloves chopped garlic
• 3 flat tbsp tau jeon (to taste)
• 2 tbsp gula malaka (palm sugar)
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (to taste)
• 1 packet (10 pieces) taupok each cut to 4 strips
• 2 x 4″ russet potatoes cut to 12 – 14 pieces

i fried the chopped garlic & shallots in 2 tbsp oil to soften & bring out flavour. then added tau jeon, fried for a while & added palm sugar.

i marinated the cut chicken in 1 tbsp dark soy sauce. then added to pan, fried & coated chicken with the paste. then added 3 cups water, 1tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, the added 2 cut potatoes (about 12 pieces), boiled & covered.

i took out the chicken breast after 10mins & off the fire after 20mins.

i took out the sauce & added tau pok (i cut each square tau pok to 4 strips) to the sauce, let it soaked in the sauce & reduced. after tau pok achieved the right texture – soft & tasty but not falling apart, i added all back to the chicken.

ayam pongteh

i did this the night before, kept in covered pan in the fridge, & reheat over low fire the next morning.

ayam pongteh

obviously it would be better done on the same day.

anyway, the chicken was just excellent! so tasty & tender.

c.h.e.f andy