Lynne's Satay

Copyright 1999 by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Hot and Spicy Peanut Sauce:

• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 1 1/4 cups shelled raw organic peanuts
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 fresh hot chilies, stemmed and chopped (serranos, jalapenos, or others)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 cup thick coconut milk (canned can be used)
• 1/3 cup tamarind liquid (available in specialty food stores) or lime juice mixed with a little sugar

Chicken and Marinade:

• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon each ground cumin and ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds, ground
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut cross-ways 1/2 inch thick
• Bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water

Peanut sauce can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated but use it at room temperature. Heat the peanut oil in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Set a metal sieve over a metal bowl. Add the peanuts to the oil and fry about 3 to 5 minutes or until light brown. Turn contents of the pan into the sieve. Let everything cool completely (keep the oil). Crush but don't puree the nuts in a food processor. Set aside.

Take 3 tablespoons of the oil and put it back into the saucepan. Fry the onions, chilies, salt, and pepper in the oil over medium-high heat until golden. Stir in the garlic and cook 20 seconds. Add the sugar and fish sauce, cooking another 10 seconds. Stir in the coconut milk and cook about 3 minutes to blend flavors. Blend in the tamarind or lime juice and taste for spicy balance. Serve at room temperature

Marinate chicken for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator. Toss together all the marinade ingredients with the chicken. Cover and chill. Thread on the skewers and grill over medium-hot coals, or about 6 inches from the broiler, about 6 minutes per side, or until chicken is firm. Arrange the skewers of chicken satay on a platter, perhaps on a bed of fresh ginger stalks or greens. Have the peanut sauce in bowls for dipping or spooning over the satay.

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