This popular Thai street food is perfect for a dinner party or for a family dinner with some leftovers for lunch. It is amazing how far a few chicken breasts can go when sliced into satays. You must make this peanut sauce to go with it and whatever you do, don't take a short cut and use peanut butter.
 | To make the marinade for the chicken, I use a mortar and pestle. Heating up the seeds and crushing them does make a difference in flavour. Smashing all the ingredients together forms a paste which, when mixed with coconut milk, is full of subtle tones and fragrant aromas. What to do if you don't own a mortar and pestle??? You could manage with a ziploc bag, sans air, then use a flat meat tenderizer to smash it into a paste.  |
I like to marinate the chicken for at least a few hours, I also throw in some mushrooms, portobellos are amazing with this marinade. I've also used tofu in this recipe and it turned out very well.
Chicken Satays
4 - 6 chicken breasts sliced into strips about an inch thick
the cream from 1 can of coconut milk
2 sticks of peeled and chopped lemongrass
2 tsp of coriander seeds
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
2 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp of sugar
pepper
kebab sticks
Heat the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat. Move around and after a few minutes of toasting, you should be able to smell them. Remove them from the heat and add to the mortar and pestle. Smash well. Add the lemongrass and ginger and smash again. Add the rest of the marinade ingredients minus the coconut cream. When smashed into a paste like consistency, remove from the mortar and mix with the coconut milk. Cover the chicken with the marinade making sure to cover all of the chicken. Marinate for a few hours in the fridge. Make sure to soak your sticks in water so they don't burn when cooked on the barbecue.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and thread the sticks through them. Heat your barbecue to a medium heat and when hot, add your satays in batches. Cook on the first side about 5 - 6 minutes, the second side about 3 - 4. This time will vary on the thickness of your satays and the heat of your barbecue.
4 - 6 chicken breasts sliced into strips about an inch thick
the cream from 1 can of coconut milk
2 sticks of peeled and chopped lemongrass
2 tsp of coriander seeds
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
2 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp of sugar
pepper
kebab sticks
Heat the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat. Move around and after a few minutes of toasting, you should be able to smell them. Remove them from the heat and add to the mortar and pestle. Smash well. Add the lemongrass and ginger and smash again. Add the rest of the marinade ingredients minus the coconut cream. When smashed into a paste like consistency, remove from the mortar and mix with the coconut milk. Cover the chicken with the marinade making sure to cover all of the chicken. Marinate for a few hours in the fridge. Make sure to soak your sticks in water so they don't burn when cooked on the barbecue.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and thread the sticks through them. Heat your barbecue to a medium heat and when hot, add your satays in batches. Cook on the first side about 5 - 6 minutes, the second side about 3 - 4. This time will vary on the thickness of your satays and the heat of your barbecue.
Peanut Sauce
1 cup of raw peanuts (could also use unsalted roasted - no need to toast if so)
1 - 2 tbsp of red curry paste (how hot do you want it?)
1 can of cocnut milk
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
1 tbsp of coconut oil (or veg oil)
First, if you have raw peanuts, you must toast them over a medium heat until they are brown. Then place them into a small food processor and whaz them well. Some will be powdery and some will be in bits.
Heat the coconut oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. When hot, add the curry paste. Cook for a few minutes making sure to stir it about so it doesn't burn. After a few minutes, add the peanuts and mix well. Heat the peanuts for a few minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients. I initially just add the cream from the can of coconut milk. After mixing it well and letting it cook for about 5 minutes, turn the heat to low and add the coconut liquid found at the bottom of the can. Let cook another 3 - 4 minutes and taste test. Add more salt or sugar to adjust to your tastes. This can be set aside and heated up just before serving.
1 cup of raw peanuts (could also use unsalted roasted - no need to toast if so)
1 - 2 tbsp of red curry paste (how hot do you want it?)
1 can of cocnut milk
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
1 tbsp of coconut oil (or veg oil)
First, if you have raw peanuts, you must toast them over a medium heat until they are brown. Then place them into a small food processor and whaz them well. Some will be powdery and some will be in bits.
Heat the coconut oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. When hot, add the curry paste. Cook for a few minutes making sure to stir it about so it doesn't burn. After a few minutes, add the peanuts and mix well. Heat the peanuts for a few minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients. I initially just add the cream from the can of coconut milk. After mixing it well and letting it cook for about 5 minutes, turn the heat to low and add the coconut liquid found at the bottom of the can. Let cook another 3 - 4 minutes and taste test. Add more salt or sugar to adjust to your tastes. This can be set aside and heated up just before serving.
RSS Feed