Chicken Satay

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Before cooking, soak enough food-safe bamboo satay skewers in water overnight. Drain them before threading the chicken.

   Uses Water, enough for overnight equipment soaking

2. 2

   Step 2: Wash the galangal (8) and lemongrass, peel the garlic (10) and shallots (25), and slice the lemongrass white portions. Blend all the galangal, garlic, shallots and white lemongrass until fine.

   Uses 8 galangal slices · 10 garlic cloves · 25 shallots · White portions of 3 lemongrass stalks · Water, as needed to wash galangal and lemongrass

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix the ground coriander (1¼ tbsp), cumin, turmeric and powdered ginger (1 tsp) thoroughly into the blended aromatics.

   Uses All the blended aromatics from step 2, with washing water discarded · 1¼ tbsp ground coriander · 1 tsp ground cumin · 2 tsp ground turmeric · 1 tsp powdered ginger

4. 4

   Step 4: Divide the finished rempah batch into one-third and two-thirds portions. Keep the two-thirds sauce portion clean and separate before any raw-chicken contact.

   Uses All the rempah made in step 3

5. 5

   Step 5: Mix the chicken (500 g) with the one-third rempah portion, 2 tbsp marinade oil, 1 tsp marinade salt and 2½ tbsp marinade sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Keep the separately reserved sauce rempah covered and refrigerated until making the sauce.

   Minimum cold satay marinade · 360 minUses 500 g skinless boneless cubed chicken thigh · The one-third marinade portion of the full batch divided in step 4 · 2 tbsp chicken-marinade oil · 1 tsp chicken-marinade salt · 2½ tbsp chicken-marinade sugar

6. 6

   Step 6: Mix the 1 tbsp tamarind paste with the 120 ml warm water. Work the flesh away from any seeds, keeping the full extraction for straining into the sauce.

   Uses 1 tbsp tamarind paste · 120 ml warm extraction water

7. 7

   Step 7: Heat the 6 tbsp sauce oil over medium-low heat. Add the clean two-thirds rempah portion and fry, stirring, until aromatic without scorching.

   Uses 6 tbsp peanut-sauce oil · The two-thirds sauce portion of the complete batch divided in step 4, kept separate from raw chicken

8. 8

   Step 8: Add all 2 tbsp dried-chili paste to the fragrant rempah and fry for about 1 minute, watching for the chili oil to begin separating.

   Fry dried-chili paste · 1 minUses All the sauce rempah and oil from step 7 · 2 tbsp dried-chili paste

9. 9

   Step 9: Strain all the prepared tamarind extraction into the chili-rempah mixture, discarding seeds and fibrous solids. Add all 3 tbsp gula melaka, the pinch of sauce salt, 1½ tbsp sauce sugar, 150 g coarsely ground peanuts and 450 ml sauce water. Mix, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer with regular stirring until thick enough for dipping. Keep ready for serving.

   Uses All the fried chili-rempah base from step 8 · All usable extracted tamarind liquid from step 6, discarding seeds and fibrous solids · 3 tbsp gula melaka · A pinch of sauce salt · 1½ tbsp sauce sugar · 150 g coarsely ground peanuts · 450 ml sauce water

10. 10

    Step 10: Wash the cucumber (1) and any optional banana leaf, then peel the red onion (1). Slice the cucumber and onion, cut the 300 g ready cooked lontong into serving pieces, and trim the clean banana leaf for lining or decoration if using. Keep these prepared accompaniments covered and cold until plating. Thread 4–5 marinated chicken cubes onto each drained skewer, continuing until all the chicken is threaded; discard spent marinade.

    Uses 1 cucumber · 1 red onion · 300 g ready cooked lontong rice cake · Optional banana leaf for lining or decoration · Water, as needed to wash cucumber and optional banana leaf · All the marinated chicken from step 5, taking the meat for skewers and discarding spent marinade

11. 11

    Step 11: Preheat the oven grill to 200–220°C. Lightly oil a suitable grilling rack, arrange the threaded satay skewers on it and brush the chicken with a little of the separate brushing oil. Grill the first side for about 6–8 minutes, checking from 6 minutes, until beginning to brown.

    First oven-grill side · 6 minUses All the chicken skewers threaded in step 10, with accompaniments kept separately · Oil, as needed for the rack and first-side brushing

12. 12

    Step 12: Turn the satay skewers and brush the second side with a little of the same brushing-oil allowance. Grill for another 4 minutes, then check every skewer: the chicken must reach 74°C/165°F in its center and be browned without burning. Continue as needed until fully cooked.

    Second oven-grill side · 4 minUses All the skewers from the first oven-grill phase in step 11 · Oil, as needed for second-side brushing

13. 13

    Step 13: Serve the freshly cooked satay with the prepared peanut sauce, ready lontong pieces, cucumber and sliced red onion. If using banana leaf, line the plate with it; it is not eaten. For a Singapore-Flyer arrangement, put the sauce bowl in the center and arrange some skewers radially with rice pieces around the edge, packing all remaining food alongside. Share between four portions.

    Uses All the fully cooked skewers from step 12 · Prepared sauce from step 9, served alongside the skewers · All the prepared lontong, cucumber, red onion and optional lining from step 10, with skewers already cooked separately