Thai Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Around the corner from my home, there is a delicious restaurant that prepares all the best Thai specialties.  Aside from their delicious shrimp Pad Thai, my favourite dish is the satay chicken with peanut sauce.  The restaurant has never wanted to reveal the secret of their recipes, but after many attempts to recreate the dish, I think I finally captured the delicious flavours of the Thai Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce.

Here are a few tips to prepare the satay chicken:

Firstly, make sure you marinate the chicken for at least a couple of hours, overnight is even better.  You want to make sure you infuse the chicken with all the delicious flavours of the marinade.

Secondly, cut the chicken in long, thin strips.  All strips should be the same thickness.  I sometimes like to pound down the chicken with a meat tenderizer to ensure that all strips are of the same thickness.  This way, all the satays will cook evenly.

Finally, soak the bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before cooking in the oven or the grill.  This will prevent them from burning.  If you don’t have the time to soak the skewers, cover the ends of each bamboo stick with pieces of aluminum foil.

As for the meat, I like to use skinless and boneless chicken breasts but boneless and skinless chicken thighs are also delicious.

This dish can be prepared in advanced and frozen.  Simply thaw the chicken and marinade and thread the chicken on bamboo skewers.

Serve the satays with the peanut sauce and a mango salad.

Thai Satay Chicken

Yields 4 portions

Ingredients

§  4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

§  1 cup unsweetened coconut milk


§  2 tablespoons brown sugar


§  2 tablespoons fish sauce


§  1 tablespoon ground coriander


§  1 teaspoon cumin


§  1 teaspoon turmeric


§  1 teaspoon salt


§  2 garlic cloves, chopped

§  About 20 wooden skewers

Directions

Combine the coconut milk, brown sugar, fish sauce and spices in a large resealable bag.

Add the chicken strips and shake to coat each piece.

Marinate for at least 1 hour.

*At this point you can freeze the kitchen to cook at a later time.  Simply thaw the meat and follow the steps below.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Weave each strip of chicken onto a skewer.

Lay each satay on a foil-covered cookie sheet.

Cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked throughout, turning once half way.

Although this sauce is delicious with the Thai satay chicken, you can serve it on pretty much anything! It’s delicious with steak, pork and mixed in with ramen, soba or udon noodles (Simply cook the noodles and add a few tablespoons of the sauce. Top with chopped green onions, julienne carrots and pieces of the meat of your choice and you have yourself a delicious bowl of noodles!).

Peanut Sauce

Yields approximately 1 cup





Ingredients

§ 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced 

§ 1 cloves garlic, chopped 

§ ¼ cup brown sugar 

§ ½ teaspoons Sriracha sauce

§ ½ cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) 

§ 1 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 

§ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

§ 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 

§ 1 tablespoon sesame oil 

Directions


In a food processer, purée the ginger and garlic until smooth. 


Add the sugar and process again. 


Incorporate the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Pour the sauce in an air tight container and refrigerate. 
 Set aside for at least an hour for the flavours to meld. 


If the sauce thickens too much in the refrigerator, add a tablespoon or so of water to thin it.

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