Tremendous Chicken Satay
Prep
25m
Cook
10m
Total
35m
Bigly says
Hand on heart. Chicken satay. TREMENDOUS chicken satay. The greatest chicken satay in the history of chicken, the history of satay, the history of anything involving a stick and a piece of meat and a peanut sauce. And the peanut sauce — oh, the peanut sauce. We will get to the peanut sauce. The peanut sauce alone could win awards. Probably has. I haven't checked. I don't need to check. I know.
I've had satay in three countries you've never heard of. Thailand. Malaysia. Indonesia — you go to Indonesia, the satay situation there is INSANE, every street corner, smoke pouring out of grills, it smells like heaven, real heaven, not the heaven on greeting cards. And I have also had chicken satay at a strip mall in suburban Connecticut and I'll tell you what, the Connecticut satay was a TOTAL DISASTER. Just sad. Dry chicken, peanut sauce out of a jar, no char, no marinade, no soul. Soul matters in satay. Without soul you've got dry sticks. We're not making dry sticks today. Not on my watch.
The secret — and most chefs are afraid to do it, they don't want the splatter, they don't want the heat, they want a clean stovetop and a sad result — the secret is two things: coconut milk in the marinade, and a SCREAMING HOT grill or pan. Coconut milk makes the chicken tender. Heat makes the chicken charred. Tender AND charred. That's the dream. A guy named Ramón taught me this in a kitchen the size of a closet, he's the truth, he never steered me wrong. Nobody disputes this. Nobody.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbboneless skinless chicken thighs(thighs, never breast for satay, breast is dry, breast is sad)
- 1 cup, dividedfull-fat coconut milk
- 2 stalkslemongrass, bottom 3 inches, finely minced
- 4 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tbspfresh ginger, grated
- 1 tspground turmeric
- 1 tbspground coriander
- 1 tspground cumin
- 2 tbspfish sauce
- 2 tbspbrown sugar
- 2 tbspneutral oil
- 16wooden skewers(soaked in water 30 minutes so they don't burn)
- 1/2 cupnatural creamy peanut butter(the kind that separates, not the supermarket sugar paste)
- 2 tbspsoy sauce
- 2 tbsplime juice, fresh
- 1 tbspred curry paste
- 1/4 cup, plus more to thinwarm water
- 2 tbsproasted peanuts, chopped (for garnish)
- 2 tbspcilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Steps
- 1
Cut chicken thighs into 1-inch strips, about 4 inches long.
- 2
In a bowl, whisk 1/2 cup coconut milk, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fish sauce, brown sugar, and neutral oil.
- 3
Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or up to 8 hours in the fridge.
- 4
Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes while the chicken marinates.
- 5
Thread the chicken strips onto skewers in a long ribbon, pushing the meat together tightly.
- 6
Heat a grill, grill pan, or cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Brush lightly with oil.
- 7
Grill the skewers 3-4 minutes per side, until charred at the edges and cooked through. Don't crowd the pan — work in batches.
- 8
While the chicken cooks, make the peanut sauce: in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk peanut butter, remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, red curry paste, and 1/4 cup warm water.
- 9
Simmer 2-3 minutes, whisking, until smooth and glossy. Thin with more warm water as needed to a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust with more lime or sugar.
- 10
Pile the skewers on a platter, top with chopped peanuts and cilantro, and serve with the warm peanut sauce alongside.
One more thing
Stack the skewers on a platter, set the peanut sauce in a little bowl in the middle like the centerpiece of a tremendous edible flower arrangement, and people lose their minds. They lose their MINDS. Friends. Family. The neighbor you didn't invite who shows up anyway — they all bow down to the satay. Bow down. That's not exaggeration, that's just what happens. The satay does it. The satay ALWAYS does it. Now go eat.
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Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
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