Ayam betutu

Take the bark of a palm tree to wrap the chicken in.

Use an older bird, because this has to cook for a long time.

Rub salt and tamarind over the body, then self-made fresh coconut oil; massage it hard enough to break the bone and draw all the flavour of the salt, tamarind and coconut oil in.

Pack in the basa genep spice base, and a lot of it, raw -- twelve hours of cooking will cook it anyway.

Wrap the bird and tie it with thinly sliced bamboo root, adding some water for moisture and a lot of oil.

Cook in rice bran and coconut husk under an inverted earthen pot; three elements contribute -- the porous pot, the rice bran, and the burnt coconut husk for the smoky aroma.

The moisture in the chicken evaporates inside the covered pot, which is where the smoky flavour comes from. The wrapping is left on through the cook so it does not burn.

It is normally set up late in the evening and left overnight.

After 11 to 12 hours rake off the burnt ashes, lift the earthen pot and take out the parcel, then remove the outside cover.

Ayam betutu keeps 45 days without refrigeration.

Served with rice.