Classic satay chicken skewers

This is a classic dish! This marinated chicken cooked on the barbecue will be so good everyone will be asking you for the recipe. We’ll go out on a limb and say that this recipe will have you serving a meal that could stack up against your favourite Thai restaurant.

There are quite a lot of ingredients to this recipe (20 in all), but the smell … Oh, the smell! … It’ll be so worth all the fuss.

Enjoy served with steamed rice and lime wedges!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp lime rind, finely grated
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/3 cup coconut cream
• 500g chicken thighs, cut into 3cm pieces

FOR PICKLED CUCUMBER

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Method

1. For the cucumber, stir vinegar and sugar together in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in cucumber and salt. Set aside, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until lightly pickled. Drain and place cucumber and coriander in a bowl.
2. Cook coriander seeds in a frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic and toasted. Transfer to a mortar and pound with a pestle until crushed.
3. For the sauce, process peanut butter, sugar, soy sauce, lime rind and juice, fish sauce, chilli, garlic, oil, 1 teaspoon of crushed coriander and half the turmeric in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan. Cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes or until warmed. Stir in coconut cream.
4. Preheat the barbecue flat plate to medium. Combine the remaining turmeric and coriander in a bowl. Add the chicken. Toss to coat. Thread about 3 chicken pieces each onto 12 pre-soaked bamboo skewers.
5. Barbecue skewers for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
6. Serve with sauce, cucumber, rice and lime, if using.