Ayam betutu

Ayam betutu is a whole chicken dish from Bali, Indonesia, seasoned with a dense spice paste and cooked slowly wrapped in banana leaf. It is traditionally made for ceremonies and special occasions on the island.

What it really is

Ayam betutu is a whole chicken, usually split or left intact, that is rubbed inside and out with betutu spice paste made from shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric, ginger, chilli and shrimp paste, with ground spices such as coriander and cumin. The seasoned bird is wrapped in banana leaf, sometimes with a further layer of leaf or husk, and cooked for many hours in a sealed pit or buried oven covered with embers, or over a slow charcoal fire. The long, low heat dries and softens the meat and concentrates the paste.

The dish is closely tied to the Balinese betutu method, which is also used for duck and for other meats. Ayam betutu differs from Balinese ayam goreng, which is fried, and from grilled chicken in sate, which is cut into pieces and cooked quickly over direct heat. Because of the shrimp paste and the slow cooking, the dish is not vegetarian.

How it's served

• Served whole or in pieces, usually with rice and a vegetable side such as urap or sayur.
• Often accompanied by sambal matah or another fresh chilli sambal.
• Eaten with the hands or with a spoon and fork, with the spiced skin and meat taken from the bone.
• Commonly part of festive meals and ceremonial feasts in Bali.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredients: whole chicken, Balinese betutu spice paste (shallot, garlic, chilli, turmeric, shrimp paste), wrapped and slow-cooked in banana leaf.
• State the allergen content: shrimp paste is a crustacean and fish-derived ingredient; flag CRUSTACEANS if the paste contains shrimp paste.
• Say whether the chicken is served bone-in or boneless and whether it is served with rice or with a sambal.
• Indicate the heat level, since the paste and any accompanying sambal can be very hot.