Indonesian Chicken Lombok (Ayam Taliwang)

This blaze-red barbecue chicken from the island of Lombok, Indonesia is famous for its chilli-packed marinade that pulls no punches.

Indonesia offers one of Asia’s richest and most fascinating cuisines. Spread across multiple islands, Indonesian food is actually claimed by various tribes and ethnic groups who have honed and imparted a signature style on their own produce. This particular barbecue chicken style comes from the Indonesian island of Lombok, famous for a spicy barbecue style with lots of red chillies. It’s often made with a particular variety of small chicken on the island. ‘Ayam Taliwang’, named after its home village Karang Taliwang, is now famous through Indonesia and is a must-try for anybody visiting the scenic island of Lombok. Until then, you can actually enjoy it at home. You can cook this chicken on a barbecue or in the oven - I’ve included instructions for both - and, true to the original, the Taliwang marinade is surprisingly straight-forward and light on ingredients. Don’t hold back on the chillies now - use as many as you dare. This is a barbecue chicken that demands fire, no ifs or buts! Let’s go!