Chicken Satay Posted by Kate Flower 24 November, 2009 - 5:31 PM

(Photos & Styling: Camille Smetana)

Twilight Kills Me

New Moon has hit the cinemas and has been accompanied by all the usual Twilight hype. All this vampire mania is making me nuts. I read the first book for book club and I have never seen such repetitive, teenage drivel being lapped up by men and women of all ages before. Could somebody please explain the appeal! Does everyone just want to see the annoyingly depressing Bella taken down by one of her suitors so badly that they keep reading the second, third and fourth books, or is everyone hanging out for the virginity to go??? I find the whole idea of teenage sexual tension and feasting on human blood a bit off putting.

Speaking of nuts here is a nutty recipe using the other white meat. It is far spicier than any Twilight instalment so I am guaranteeing you will enjoy it more than any frustrating, repetitive chapter of that vampish series.

Chicken Satay (serves 4)

Chicken Marinade
2 cloves garlic
1 onion finely, chopped
1 stalk of lemongrass (soft part only), finely sliced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tamarind juices (take a walnut-sized piece of tamarind and soak for 20 minutes in boiling water. Squeeze the pulp to get all flavour)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
500g chicken thigh – cut into 1inch dice

8-12 Skewers - soaked overnight

Peanut Sauce
3 tablespoons tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons boiling water
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp cumin ground
1 fresh hot red chilli, finely chopped (or to taste)
250g roasted peanuts
2 tbsp Peanut oil
75g brown sugar
400ml coconut milk
Salt to taste

Method

Chicken Satay
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and marinate covered in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.

Peanut Sauce
To make the sauce, soak the tamarind pulp in boiling water for 30 minutes, then squeeze and press through a food mill or coarse strainer and reserve liquid. Crush nuts in a food processor. Heat a wok or a frying pan with a little oil and fry garlic until pale gold. Immediately add chilli, cumin, peanuts and sugar. Stir in 3 tablespoons tamarind water and coconut milk. Mix well and add salt to taste. Cook stirring until oil separates and floats to the top.

To Assemble
Remove meat from marinade and thread onto skewers. Brush with a little peanut sauce and drop onto a hot skillet. Seal on each side then place on a lined baking tray and cook for 10 minutes at 180C. Serve with the peanut sauce and cucumber salad.

Leave your comment

• GG says

  Hi Twilight lover
  Can you please tell where I can buy Tamarind Pulp from?
  Great recipe.
  Thanks, Edward's girl'f

  Posted Tuesday 24 November, 2009 7:13 PM
• Wendy says

  Can you freeze the sauce? I intend to make a massive batch of it. But obviously if it doesn't freeze I won't bother.

  Posted Wednesday 25 November, 2009 4:50 PM
• Kate Flower says

  Hey Wendy and GG

  Wendy it keeps in the fridge for a good while. I would say at least a month, but I have not tried freezing. Sorry.

  GG Tamarind pulp is available at Asian grocers. It is a dark coloured rectangle package. I love going to Asian food shops and finding new things to play with. Enjoy

  Happy cooking girls

  Posted Wednesday 25 November, 2009 9:13 PM