Satay Ayam (Chicken Satay)

Satay Ayam (Chicken Satay)

Jakarta, Indonesia has many satay vendors. These vendors walk through the streets pushing hand carts that contain grills on them, tapping on a wood block and shouting “Sataaaay!” For about $3 you can get an order of 20 satay – the vendor will stop, light up the grill and cook the already marinated chicken. Before pulling the satay off the grill he will roll up a banana leaf in the shape of a cone, pour in some peanut sauce, and then gather the satay from the grill and place them inside. (Scott Hillje)

PEANUT SAUCE: CHICKEN:

2 hot red chiles, cut into pieces 1 shallot, quartered

½ shallot, quartered 1 piece (½ inch) ginger root, peeled and quartered

1 clove garlic, minced 2 T. vegetable oil

1 T. brown sugar 2 T. fresh lime juice

1 T. lemon juice 1 T. brown sugar

½ c. peanut butter 1 t. salt

½ c. coconut milk ½ t. ground nutmeg

¼ t. turmeric

¼ t. black pepper

1 ½ lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into small strips

Soak 30 bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes.

For peanut sauce: mix chiles, shallot, garlic, brown sugar and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Add peanut butter and ¼ cup of the coconut milk and blend until smooth. Add additional coconut milk as needed to make smooth dipping consistency. Add salt to taste.

For chicken: place shallot, ginger root, vegetable oil, lime juice, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, turmeric and pepper into food processor and blend to a paste. Heat grill or broiler to high. Thread one or two chicken strips onto each skewer. Brush paste over chicken. Grill until golden brown on each side and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.