Sometimes you want the tasty friend chicken that you get in Java, and sometimes you want the hearty soups that you find all over Indonesia; in this recipe, you get both.  Yes, this is a Javanese dish that introduced us to the glorious possibility of combining fried chicken with soup.  This recipe is also a great example of how to make a soup with lots of different parts to it.  When you eat it, you get lots of different flavors and textures all at once: savory broth, crispy chicken, sweet and spicy sambal, crunchy peanuts, sour lime, the works.

This makes enough for 4 people.  It has many steps but is very much worth your while.

Soup
1 lb. chicken legs and thighs, skins removed
4 cups water
2 salam leaves
2 inches galangal, peeled and crushed
1 tsp. salt
oil for deep frying
2 Tbsp. oil
1/4 lb bihun
1 cup bean sprouts
4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
1/4 cup unsalted raw peanuts, deep fried until deep golden brown
20 shallots, peeled, thinly sliced, and deep fried
1/3 cup celery leaves, finely chopped
4 limes, quartered

Spice Paste
1 tsp. pepper
6 candlenuts
4 cloves garlic
2 inches ginger, peeled

Sambal
20 chilies
1/4 cup unsalted raw peanuts, deep fried until deep golden brown
2 Tbsp. kecap manis

Start by combining chicken, salam leaves, galangal, and salt in a pot with the water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until you have a nice flavorful broth and the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the chicken and let cool.  Once the chicken has cooled, heat 2 inches of oil over high heat until almost smoking, and fry the chicken until nice and golden brown.  Remove and let cool again, then tear the meat into rather thick shreds.

While the meat is cooling, make the spice paste by making a smooth paste out of all the ingredients with a mortar and pestle or in a blender or food processor.  Set aside.  Next, cook the noodles in boiling water until soft.  Divide the noodles into four bowls along with the bean sprouts, shredded meat, and eggs. Next make the sambal by mashing the chilies and deep fried peanuts to make a coarse paste, and then adding kecap manis to thin it out a bit.

Returning to the spice paste, heat the 2 Tbsp. of oil in a wok or large skilled over medium heat, and add the spice paste.  Fry until very fragrant, not letting it brown too much.  Add the reserved chicken broth to the spice paste and, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes.  Switch off heat and remove salam leaves and galangal.

To serve, ladle the broth into the bowls and garnish with shallots, deep fried peanuts, celery leaves, lime juice, and sambal.