Chicken Satay with Thai Dipping Sauce

Chicken Satay with Thai Dipping Sauce

Finger food is fast becoming the rage of casual entertaining as it is “mood relaxing” and “socially friendly” and the beauty of this dish is that it can be prepared well in advance and barbequed outdoors!

1 kilo chicken fillets – cut into strips (3 centimetres wide)

Olive oil

Butter lettuce leaves

Peanut dipping sauce – recipe follows

20 – 24 wooden skewers soaked in cold water for 30 minutes (to prevent burning)

Marinade

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons soya sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon ground ginger

Place the marinade ingredients into a shallow bowl and mix; add the chicken strips and pour over the marinade; cover and refrigerate for 4 – 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Peanut Dipping sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic – crushed

½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 cup water

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted and roasted peanuts – coarsely ground

1)    Place the peanuts in a food processor and use the metal blade to coarsely grind; set aside.

2)    Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; sauté the garlic and cayenne pepper for I minute; add the remaining ingredients and stir constantly until the sauce has thickened.

3)    Remove chicken from the marinade and thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers, working the skewer in and out of the chicken, concertina fashion.

4)    Place a grill pan over high heat and spray with olive oil; grill the chicken satay for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until well seared and cooked through.

5)    Transfer the satay to a platter lined with lettuce leaves and serve with individual bowls of Thai dipping sauce.

Tip: Make up the peanut sauce in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container. To heat up, simply add a little boiling water to thin out, and gently heat through,