Thai-style chicken satay!
Serves: 4-6 as starter or snack
For chicken
- 500 g Chicken breast fillets, or chicken breast sliced into thin pieces (13-15 pieces)
- 100 ml Coconut milk
- 1 stalk Lemongrass, using only the bottom part (white bits), sliced then pounded
- 1 tsp Galangal, diced then pounded
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
- 2 tsp Coriander powder
- 2 tsp Curry powder
- 2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp White pepper powder
- Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for a few hours
For peanut dipping sauce
- 1 portion Red curry paste (see recipe here)
- 40 ml Oil
- 400 ml Coconut milk
- 4 Star anise
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 5 Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1-2 Tbsp Tamarind concentrate
- 3 Tbsp Sugar
- 120 g Roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
For pickled cucumber salad
- 50 ml White vinegar
- 50 g Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Cucumber, sliced (or 1/2 cup Cucumber + 1/2 cup Carrots)
- 2 Shallots, sliced
- Red chilli, sliced (optional)
How to put this together
- Mix together chicken + all marinade ingredients. Massage the marinade into the chicken pieces for a few minutes. Cover & marinade in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight).
- When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 230 C on grill
- Skewer chicken pieces and place them on a grill rack. Place a tray underneath to catch any drippings.
- Cook the chicken, placing it close to the grill, for 10 mins, turning them half way through. Make sure they’re cooked through.
- Serve immediately with peanut sauce and pickled cucumber salad
To make peanut dipping sauce
Peanut dipping sauce can be made ahead of time. Refrigerate it and re-heat just before you serve.
- On low heat, pan roast star anise + cinnamon stick + cloves until fragrant. Transfer to a plate.
- On low heat, add oil + curry paste in a small pot. Fry until fragrant.
- Add coconut milk + star anise + cinnamon stick + cloves + cinnamon powder + salt + tamarind concentrate + sugar.
- Bring to boil
- Simmer for 10 mins.
- Remove star anise + cinnamon stick + cloves
- Add chopped peanuts. Simmer for 2 mins.
- Transfer the sauce to a blender (I use magic bullet) – and blend to smooth paste.
- Give it a gentle re-heat before you serve
To make pickled cucumber salad
Don’t make this too far ahead of time. You don’t want the cucumber to wilt down too much.
- In a small pot, add vinegar + sugar + salt. Stir over low heat until sugar & salt are melted.
- Take off heat and leave to cool for 15 mins.
- Add cucumber + carrots (if using) + shallots. Stir well to mix.
- Leave to “pickle” for 15 mins, then give it another stir
- Serve.