Satay Chicken

Name: Satay Chicken
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: ¼ cup vegetable oil; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 tablespoon grated ginger; 1 tablespoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 600g chicken thigh fillets; 1 Lebanese cucumber, seeded and finely diced; 1 small red onion, finely diced; ¼ pineapple, finely diced; 10 mint leaves, finely shredded; 250ml Ayam satay sauce; ½ cup coconut milk; 2 teaspoons sambal oelek; Salt flakes, to taste; Lime wedges, for serving

Some of my favourite memories from trips to Malaysia and Indonesia are of eating satay chicken skewers from street stalls – I tried all sorts of complicated recipes at home to recreate the flavour without success. Then I came across Ayam satay sauce – made in Malaysia from peanuts, coconut milk, lots of herbs and spices (and no additives) – I’m not opposed to a quality short-cut, especially when it tastes this good. The pineapple salsa is my addition to add a bit of freshness. Part of the charm of a genuine satay is the smokiness from a charcoal grill, if you don’t have one, get your grill pan good and hot and let the meat get a good charring. This recipe can also serve 2 as a main course with rice and a stir-fried green like the sambal spinach in the video below. A glass of Logan’s Clementine pinot gris skin-contact rosé rounds things out nicely. Makan!

Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
600g chicken thigh fillets
250ml Ayam satay sauce
½ cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons sambal oelek
Salt flakes, to taste
Lime wedges, for serving

Pineapple Salsa

1 Lebanese cucumber, seeded and finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
¼ pineapple, finely diced
10 mint leaves, finely shredded

Method

Combine oil, garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin.
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, add to oil mixture, mixing well to combine, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make Pineapple Salsa: combine all Ingredients and set aside.
Combine satay sauce, coconut milk and sambal oelek in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Set aside to keep warm.
Heat barbecue or char-grill pan to hot.
Thread chicken onto skewers, sprinkle with salt and grill for about 2 minutes each side, until just cooked through.
Serve with Pineapple Salsa, satay sauce and a lime wedge on the side.