Chicken Satay and Peanut Dipping Sauce – Recipe

I’ve always said that the best part about south-east Asia, is not the beaches, the cheap beer, or ladyboys… but the FOOD. This week’s recipe is one that I’ve been working on for a while that even upon the smell of the marinade, throws me back to sweltering nights sitting on the side of the road or public parking lot turned street food hub chowing down on plate after plates of these chicken satay skewers served to us by an Indian hawker who insisted we called “Little Brother”. My buddies and I were such great customers what when we sat down, he’d greet us as “Big brother” and immediately asked “how many plates?” – in Cantonese.

After trying dry mixes and packets found at the local Asian markets, I haven’t found one that tasted remotely the same as the ones from Malaysia until I read a recipe where sweetened condense milk was used in the meat marinade recipe… and that was it! The key to unlocking the flavour mojo of the most awesome chicken satay skewers you’ll ever eat! So here is my adapted recipe from Chef Dim Geefay’s pork satay recipe that’s perfect for any summer barbecue get together that’s going to leave your guests wanting more.

Ingredients:
Marinade
2 pounds of chicken (thighs or breast, cubed in 1/4 inch pieces)
1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 stalks of lemon grass (finely chopped)
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt
2 table spoons yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Peanut Sauce:
3/4 can of coconut milk
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1/3 can of Mesri Masaman Curry paste
2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoon peanut butter (creamy or chunky – personal preference)

15-20 pre-soaked bamboo skewers
Sliced cucumber and red onions to garnish

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine, cubed chicken, condensed milk, lemon grass, soy sauce, salt, curry powder, and black pepper and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

While your meat is marinading, in a saucepan, heat coconut milk until it simmers, add masaman curry paste, fish sauce, sugar and peanut butter, and turn off the heat and whisk until smooth. Set aside and let cool. Masaman curry is also known as a generic “Malaysian” curry which is heavy in tamarind which will impart a tartness to whatever sauce you’re using this paste to make.

After your chicken has marinaded, skewer onto the top third of your pre-soaked wooden skewers.

Grill on a BBQ on high to sear (5-6 minutes), then lower the heat to medium and rotate the skewers every 2-3 minutes until cooked (about 10 minutes)

Serve with roughly chopped pieces of cucumber and red onion.

The sweetness of the condensed milk is subtle and evens out the overbearingness that yellow curry (aka, “mild-curry” aka, “Indian curry”) powder may have. I used a store-bought powder mix, but if you prefer to mix your own turmeric, coriander, mustard seed… go ahead, this is just a lot simpler. The sugars in the marinade also give the chicken satay the awesome caramelized charred bits that you will love as the condensed milk glazes the meat and seals in all those delicious flavours. The peanut dipping sauce is aromatic and pairs amazingly with these chicken skewers.

Eaten with a piece of raw red onion between bites, this dish is a literal clinic in the fundamentals of Thai cuisine – invigorating and waking up each one of your senses and stimulating all five of your taste receptors on your palate.

Try these this weekend, with the forecast we’re expecting, there’s no reason not to! Well… unless you don’t like chicken, or are a vegetarian or something or hate food or worship the devil.

Having trouble finding a particular ingredient? Check out my Asian grocery store round up to find a market near you!