Chicken Satay

Full of peanut-y goodness.

I love this recipe. The first time I made it, I was convinced that it would taste like I mixed chicken with some melted peanut butter and tried to pass it off as a meal. Like a child would do.

Fortunately, it tastes amazing. 

There’s a subtle spiciness which you can increase by adding a sliced chilli pepper (deseeded if you like). It has a richness without feeling heavy or oily. My boyfriend, aka: my most honest critic, has said that this is better than the stuff you get from the actual Chinese restaurants. Win! 5 stars!

Adapted from a fabulous Nigel Slater recipe.

Ingredients: for the Chicken

• 2-3 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Ingredients: for the Satay

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2cm of ginger, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1tsp chilli powder
• 1 pepper, chopped finely
• 1 chilli
• 100g peanut butter
• 200ml water
• few sprigs of coriander, chopped finely

Method

To start with, marinade the chicken in the sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and garlic for about an hour. 

Appetising, no?

While that is working, prep everything for the satay sauce, get your veggies organised and chopped and get your spices at the ready.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, fry in oil until golden and cooked through. The original recipe calls for cooking in a skillet, but I don’t have one (YET!), so I improvise with the frying pan.

One day, a cast iron skillet will be mine..

Gently fry the garlic, ginger, leek in oil for about 5 minutes. Stir through the curry and chilli powder, then add in the chilli and pepper. Cook for a few minutes.

Add in the peanut butter and water. Bring to a gentle boil, and stir in the coriander (if using. I have a love-hate relationship with it, so it depends on my mood for if I include it).

This is about the right consistency

Cook for a few minutes, and when both are ready, bung the chicken into the sauce, give it a good stir and serve. 

You could serve as a sandwich (Slater-style) or as I do, with sesame noodles, or rice. I did not get a photo because I was too busy eating it. As too often happens.