Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 1 tsp crushed white peppercorns
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 lime
• juice only
• 500g/1lb 2oz skinned boneless chicken thighs
• each cut into 2.5cm/1in strips
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 fat garlic cloves
• roughly chopped
• 50g/2oz shallots
• roughly chopped
• 25g/1oz roasted salted peanuts
• 6 medium-hot red chillies
• roughly chopped
• 1 tsp blachan (shrimp paste)
• 1 tsp salt
• 300g/10½oz long-grain rice
• sunflower oil
• for frying
• 6 large shallots
• thinly sliced
• 2 large free-range eggs
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp ketjap manis
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 5cm/2in piece cucumber
• cut into quarters lengthways
• sliced
• 8 spring onions
• trimmed
• thinly sliced on the diagonal
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the barbecued chicken
• mix the crushed garlic
• crushed white peppercorns
• sugar
• fish sauce and lime juice together in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• To cook the chicken
• thread the marinated chicken pieces onto parallel pairs of the soaked bamboo skewers (this helps to stop the pieces from spinning around as you turn them).
• Preheat the grill to its highest setting (or prepare the barbecue).
• Grill the chicken skewers for 6-7 minutes
• turning regularly
• until golden-brown and caramelised on the outside and cooked through (no trace of pink should remain).
• Slide the barbecued chicken off the skewers
• cut into chunks and set aside.
• For the spice paste
• blend all of the spice paste ingredients in a food processor to a smooth paste.
• For the nasi goreng
• cook the rice in boiling
• salted water for 12-15 minutes
• or according to packet instructions
• until just tender. Drain
• rinse well with boiling hot water from the kettle
• and drain well again.
• Spread the rice out onto a large baking tray and set aside until cold (but do not refrigerate).
• Heat 1cm/½in of the sunflower oil in a large
• deep-sided frying pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Add the sliced shallots and shallow fry
• stirring now and then
• until crisp and richly golden-brown. Remove the onions from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on plenty of kitchen paper. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside until cold and crisp.
• Beat the eggs in a bowl with some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a couple of tablespoons of the sunflower oil in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat
• pour in one-third of the beaten egg and cook until it has has set on top.
• Flip the egg over
• fry it for a few more seconds then turn it out onto a chopping board or plate
• roll it up tightly and set aside until cold. Repeat the process twice more with the remaining egg.
• When the egg rolls are cold
• slice them into thin strips.
• Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking hot. Add two tablespoons of the oil left over from frying the shallots
• then add the nasi goreng paste and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes
• or until fragrant.
• Add the tomato purée and ketjap manis and stir-fry for a few seconds
• then add the cold cooked rice and stir-fry for a further 2-3 minutes
• or until heated through.
• Add the barbecued chicken pieces
• fried shallots and strips of omelette and stir-fry for another minute.
• Add the soy sauce
• cucumber and most of the spring onions and mix together well.
• To serve
• spoon the nasi goreng onto a large warmed platter. Sprinkle over the remaining spring onions and allow people to help themselves.