Sweet & Savory Chicken Satay

Sweet & Savory Chicken Satay

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

8-16 skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces or strips, or the equivalent of beef (enough for your family/party)
1 package wooden skewers
SATAY MARINADE:

1/4 cup minced lemongrass, fresh or frozen
1 small onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger, peeled and sliced
1/4 of thumb-size piece fresh turmeric, OR 1/2 tsp. dried turmeric
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground in a coffee grinder, OR 1 Tbsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. cumin
3 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
4 Tbsp. fish sauce
5 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Preparation:

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the meat. This will prevent them from burning (I find the kitchen sink works well for this).
Cut chicken or beef into thin pieces or strips (small enough to easily skewer). Place in a bowl.

Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor (discard the upper stalk of lemongrass, if using fresh). Process well.

Taste-test the marinade - you will taste sweet, spicy, and salty. The strongest tastes should be SWEET and SALTY in order for the finished satay to taste its best. If necessary, add more sugar or more fish sauce (instead of salt) to adjust the taste.

Add the marinade to the meat and stir well to combine. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, or longer (up to 24 hours).

When ready to cook, slide the pieces of meat onto the wooden skewers. TIP: Fill only the upper half of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person barbecuing has a "handle" to work with. This makes it easier to turn the satay during cooking.

Barbecue the satay, OR grill on an indoor grill, OR broil it in the oven on a broiling pan or baking sheet with the oven set to "broil" (Place satay close beneath the heating element and turn the meat every 5 minutes until cooked). Depending on how thin your meat is, the satay will cook in 10 to 20 minutes.

**Serve with rice and Peanut dipping Sauce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh-tasting dry roasted peanuts, unsalted
1/3 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (If vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce or regular soy sauce)
1/2 tsp. tamarind paste OR 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR 1 tsp. Thai chili sauce (more or less to taste)
1/3 cup coconut milk

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth. If you prefer a runnier peanut sauce, add a little more water or coconut milk.

Do a taste test, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough, or more cayenne if not spicy enough. If too salty, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you'd prefer it sweeter, add more sugar.

Serve warm or at room temperature as a dip with fresh veggies, with chicken or beef satay, fresh spring rolls, or other Asian finger foods. Or mix with noodles to create a Thai-style noodle dish or cold noodle salad. Enjoy!

Note: This sauce will thicken as it sits - just add a little water or coconut milk to thin it out, as needed. Otherwise it stores well if kept covered in the refrigerator (keep up to 2 weeks, or freeze).

Enjoy!!!