A few days ago, I paid my regular visit to the book store to see the new circulations of literature books and cook books. As I was browsing the books in the cooking sector, my eye caught a very familiar word ‘Balthazar’.
I am sure you all know Balthazar. For my friends from different religions, Balthazar was the name of one of the three kings who visited Christ 12 days after he was born and were led to him by the star of Bethlehem.
What you don’t know and how could you, is that this was also the name of a restaurant in Athens very famous during the 80’s and 90’s.
I was a college student back in late 80’s beginning of 90’s. I think that was one of the most beautiful period of my life. Oh, those days of freedom! I and my friends were regulars in Balthazar. We were beginning with a very tasty meal and then we were moving at the bar with the music and drinks and had great time.
Ok, at this point I have to tell you this. You know that I don’t drink, not because I have some kind of a problem, but because I simply don’t like it that much. At that time, I was notorious among my friends as the only one who gets a drink and at the time I was leaving, the drink was fuller than when it was given to me by the bar tender lol. That was happening because I wasn’t drinking it and as the ice in the glass melted, the content in the glass was more than what it was originally.
Anyway, let’s go back to the bookstore. This book is written by the daughter of the couple who started this business. A very unique couple, very educated, citizens of the world in a period of time when people were not traveling as much as today. I bought the book not so much for its recipes, but for the story of these people and for the memories it brought to me.
So, from this book and after a few alterations, I made this Chicken Kecap Manis, a recipe from the exotic Indonesia, which I accompanied with these potatoes with the pompous name rapez dorez. These are nothing more than potato patties, but they were the perfect side dish for these skewers.
Chicken Kecap Manis
Ingredients
700 gr./25 oz Chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut in cubes
For the marinade
¾ cup scallions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Juice from 1/2 medium sized lemon
40 ml/1.35 fl oz dry red wine
30 ml/1 fl oz beef stock
For the sauce
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
¼ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients of the marinade.
Add the chicken pieces, mix and place in the fridge for six hours.
After that time, put the chicken pieces to the skewers and either BBQ them or broil them until they are done.
For the sauce
We add all the ingredients in a pot and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and let simmer until the skewers are ready.
I served them with potatoes rapez dorez. Recipe follows.
Potatoes Rapez Dorez (Potato Patties)
Ingredients
1 kilo/35oz potatoes
½ cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Peel the potatoes and grate them.
Throw them in a bowl and add cold water.
Drain them really well by squeezing the heck out of them (this is perhaps the most difficult part of this recipe).
Put them in a bowl and add the parmesan salt and pepper and mix until they are all incorporated.
Take a skillet and put ¼ cup olive oil in high heat.
With your hands take a portion from the potato mix equal to a lime and make it flat. Put in the skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides.
Chicken Kecap Manis, Potatoes Rapez Dorez
Author/ Συγγραφέας: Katerina
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Main Course
Cuisine/ Κουζίνα: Indonesian
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
- 700 gr./25 oz Chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut in cubes
For the marinade
- ¾ cup scallions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tbsp dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- Juice from ½ medium sized lemon
- 40 ml/1.35 fl oz dry red wine
- 30 ml/1 fl oz beef stock
For the sauce
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Potatoes Rapez Dorez (Potato Patties)
- 1 kilo/35oz potatoes
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
- Mix all the ingredients of the marinade.
- Add the chicken pieces, mix and place in the fridge for six hours.
- After that time, put the chicken pieces to the skewers and either BBQ them or broil them until they are done.
For the sauce
- We add all the ingredients in a pot and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat and let simmer until the skewers are ready.
- I served them with potatoes rapez dorez.
Potatoes Rapez Dorez (Potato Patties)
- Peel the potatoes and grate them.
- Throw them in a bowl and add cold water.
- Drain them really well by squeezing the heck out of them (this is perhaps the most difficult part of this recipe).
- Put them in a bowl and add the parmesan salt and pepper and mix until they are all incorporated.
- Take a skillet and put ¼ cup olive oil in high heat.
- With your hands take a portion from the potato mix equal to a lime and make it flat.
- Put in the skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides.
Notes/ Σημειώσεις
Recipe from the historic Balthazar.
Κοτόπουλο Κετσάπ Μανίς, Πατάτες Ραπέ Ντορέ
Author/ Συγγραφέας: Kατερίνα
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Κυρίως Πιάτο
Cuisine/ Κουζίνα: Ινδονησιακή
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
- 700 γρ. στήθη κοτόπουλου, χωρίς πέτσα, χωρίς κόκαλα, κομμένα σε κύβους
Για τη μαρινάδα
- ¾ φλ. κρεμμυδάκια, ψιλοκομμένα
- 2 σκελίδες σκόρδο, λιωμένο
- ½ κ.σ. σκούρα καφέ ζάχαρη
- ½ κουταλάκι του γλυκού αλάτι
- Χυμό από ½ λεμόνι μεσαίου μεγέθους
- 40 ml κόκκινο κρασί
- 30 ml ζωμό μοσχαριού
Για τη σάλτσα
- ½ φλ. σκούρα καφέ ζάχαρη
- ½ φλιτζάνι νερό
- ¼ φλιτζανιού σάλτσα σόγιας
- ¼ κ.γ. τριμμένο κόλιανδρο
- ½ κουταλάκι του γλυκού τριμμένο τζίντζερ
Πατάτες Rapez Dorez
- 1 κιλό πατάτες
- ½ φλ. τριμμένη παρμεζάνα
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
- Ανακατεύουμε όλα τα υλικά της μαρινάδας.
- Προσθέτουμε τα κομμάτια κοτόπουλου στο μίγμα και τοποθετούμε στο ψυγείο για έξι ώρες.
- Βγάζουμε το κοτόπουλο και το περνάμε σε σουβλάκια.
- Το ψήνουμε είτε στο μπάρμπεκιου είτε στη σχάρα έως ότου είναι έτοιμα.
Για τη σάλτσα
- Όσο ψήνονται τα σουβλάκια, προσθέτουμε όλα τα υλικά σε μια κατσαρόλα και τα βάζουμε να βράσουν.
- Μειώνουμε τη θερμοκρασία και αφήνουμε να σιγοβράσουν μέχρι τα σουβλάκια να είναι έτοιμα.
- Συνοδέψτε με πατάτες rapez dorez.
- H συνταγή ακολουθεί.
Πατάτες Rapez Dorez
- Καθαρίζουμε τις πατάτες και τις τρίβουμε στον τρίφτη.
- Τις ρίχνουμε σε ένα μπολ και προσθέτουμε κρύο νερό.
- Τις στραγγίζουμε πολύ καλά πιέζοντας.
- Εγώ το έκανα χρησιμοποιώντας ένα τούλι.
- Τις βάζουμε σε ένα μπολ και προσθέτουμε την παρμεζάνα αλάτι και πιπέρι και ανακατεύουμε μέχρι είναι όλα ενσωματωθούν.
- Παίρνουμε μια κατσαρόλα και βάζουμε το ¼ φλιτζανιού ελαιόλαδο σε δυνατή φωτιά.
- Παίρνουμε με τα χέρια μας μια μερίδα από το μείγμα πατάτας ίση με ένα μανταρίνι.
- Την πιέζουμε με τα χέρια μας για να γίνει επίπεδη και τη βάζουμε μέσα στο τηγάνι.
- Φτιάχνουμε όλο το μίγμα με τον ίδιο τρόπο
- Τηγανίζουμε μέχρι να ροδίσουν και από τις δύο πλευρές.
Notes/ Σημειώσεις
Συνταγή από το ιστορικό Balthazar.
