Though most of south-east Asia has its own take on a grilled meat kebab, satay is, according to the Oxford Companion to Food, particularly associated with the island of Java, where it first arrived with traders from the west. Its origins are probably Levantine, but this version is very much Indonesian, and infinitely nicer hot from the barbecue than chilled on the deli counter.
Prep 10 min
Marinate 30 min+
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4
500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs (see step 3)
8 skewers
Crispy fried shallots, to serve (optional)
For the marinade
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3 garlic cloves
2½cm piece fresh ginger
3 lemongrass stalks
2 makrut lime leaves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp kecap manis
1 tsp soy sauce
For the peanut sauce
150g unsalted peanuts
5 shallots
3 garlic cloves
2 bird’s eye chillies
½ tsp Indonesian shrimp paste (terasi), or use Thai kapi or Malaysian belacan
1 tbsp vegetable oil
150ml coconut milk
2 tbsp palm sugar
2 tsp kecap manis
Juice of 1 lime
1 Start the marinade
Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant. Peel and finely chop the garlic, and finely grate the ginger (no need to peel it; just give it a quick wash). Peel and discard the tough outer layer from the lemongrass stalks and finely chop the rest; you should end up with about three tablespoons. Shred the lime leaves.
2 Pound the marinade mix
Use a pestle and mortar to grind all these ingredients into a rough paste (alternatively, use a mini chopper, in which case you might like to add the oil at this point). Once everything is well smashed together, transfer to a large bowl and stir in the kecap manis and soy sauce (and the oil, if it isn’t in there already).
3 Prepare the chicken
Cut the chicken into long strips about 3cm wide. You could use the same weight of breast instead, if you prefer, but I’d urge you at least to consider a mix of the two; it’s all too easy for lean meat to dry out on the fierce heat of a grill. Firm tofu or seitan make good plant-based alternatives.
4 Marinate the chicken
Stir the chicken pieces into the marinade until well coated, then cover, refrigerate and leave to sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours (tofu or seitan should be ready after half an hour). Meanwhile, if using wooden skewers, rather than metal ones, soak eight of them in cold water until ready to use.
5 Roast and grind the peanuts
If your peanuts are still raw, spread them out on a baking tray and bake in an 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden, shaking them once halfway. Roughly chop or finely grind the roast peanuts in a mortar or mini chopper, depending on how chunky you’d like your sauce to be.
6 Pound the shallots, garlic and chilli
Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic. Trim the chillies, remove the seeds and pith, unless you’re very fond of heat, then finely chop the flesh. Put the shallots, garlic and chilli in a mortar with the shrimp paste, then pound to a puree. (Alternatively, roughly chop them all, then blitz to a puree in a mini chopper instead.)
7 Fry the paste
Put the oil in a wok or wide frying pan on a medium-high heat, then stir-fry the chilli paste until the garlic and shallots lose their raw smell. Add the coconut milk and palm sugar, simmer for a couple of minutes, then stir in the peanuts and cook until the sauce has slightly thickened.
8 Finish the peanut sauce
Take off the heat and stir in the kecap manis and lime juice, adding a little more coconut milk or water if it’s too thick. Taste and adjust, if required, adding more sugar, kecap manis or lime juice if you think it needs it. Keep the sauce warm, or leave it to cool, depending on how you’d prefer to serve it.
9 Grill the chicken, and serve
Thread the strips of meat on to the skewers in an S shape, pushing them tightly together. Put on a barbecue, or a griddle pan on a medium-high heat, and cook, turning regularly, for about 20 minutes, until cooked through (if using a griddle, turn down the heat to medium once they’re well charred). Transfer to a platter, scatter over the crisp shallots and serve with the sauce alongside.
