Chicken or Beef Satays with Homemade Peanut Sauce

“The origin of satays seems ambiguous as versions of it appear in so many cultures,” says Poh. “One theory told to me by a Nonya chef, Florence Tan, suggests they came from Chinese traders who would preserve skewers of meat in brine and then grill them when they arrived on the shores of Malaysia. Interestingly, the term ‘satay’ directly translates to ‘three pieces’ in the Hokkien dialect. “This dish is not a complex one to make but like many Malaysian dishes it’s all in the correct ratios of those beautiful aromatics, exotic rhizomes and spices. In the streets of Malaysia, satays are cooked over smoldering embers which are continuously fanned to infuse the meat with a gorgeous smokiness, but at home, barbequing or grilling in the oven will work a treat. “Of course the peanut sauce is half the magic, but please don’t be deterred by the amount of oil required to cook the sauce in, for without it, the sauce will not develop and caramelise properly. If you are concerned, you may scoop some of the oil out after the sauce is cooked. “In Australia, satay is most often served as an entrée. In Malaysia, it’s eaten as a meal in itself and the classic accompaniments are cucumber, Spanish onion, cubed, pressed rice and something my mum always added, pineapple. These are designed to be dipped into the peanut sauce also, refreshing the palate between bites of the meaty morsels.” Preparation Time: 2 hours + marinating 5 hours or overnight

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About this Recipe

By: Sheridan Rogers

“The origin of satays seems ambiguous as versions of it appear in so many cultures,” says Poh. “One theory told to me by a Nonya chef, Florence Tan, suggests they came from Chinese traders who would preserve skewers of meat in brine and then grill them when they arrived on the shores of Malaysia. Interestingly, the term ‘satay’ directly translates to ‘three pieces’ in the Hokkien dialect. “This dish is not a complex one to make but like many Malaysian dishes it’s all in the correct ratios of those beautiful aromatics, exotic rhizomes and spices. In the streets of Malaysia, satays are cooked over smoldering embers which are continuously fanned to infuse the meat with a gorgeous smokiness, but at home, barbequing or grilling in the oven will work a treat. “Of course the peanut sauce is half the magic, but please don’t be deterred by the amount of oil required to cook the sauce in, for without it, the sauce will not develop and caramelise properly. If you are concerned, you may scoop some of the oil out after the sauce is cooked. “In Australia, satay is most often served as an entrée. In Malaysia, it’s eaten as a meal in itself and the classic accompaniments are cucumber, Spanish onion, cubed, pressed rice and something my mum always added, pineapple. These are designed to be dipped into the peanut sauce also, refreshing the palate between bites of the meaty morsels.” Preparation Time: 2 hours + marinating 5 hours or overnight

Ingredients

    Homemade Peanut Sauce
    • tamarind paste (from a jar) 1 – 2 tablespoons
    • brown sugar 2/3 cup
    • salt 1 teaspoon, plus more to balance at end
    • water 1 litre
    • lime juice 2 tablespoons, plus more to balance at end
    • salted, roasted, crushed peanuts 500g
    Rempah (wet spice paste)
    • long red chillies 20, deseeded, soaked in boiling water until soft, drained and chopped
    • galangal (thickest part) 2cm, peeled, thinly sliced and chopped
    • lemongrass 2 stalks, thinly sliced (use white part and remove any dry outer layers)
    • garlic 8 cloves, peeled and sliced
    • small red eschalots 15 (or 3 medium Spanish onions), peeled and sliced
    • vegetable oil 200ml
    Chicken or Beef Satays
    • bamboo skewers soaked in water for 15 – 20 minutes
    • chicken thigh fillets 2kg, cleaned of sinew and fat OR 2kg chuck steak
    Marinade
    • galangal (thickest part) peeled, thinly sliced and chopped
    • lemongrass 8 stalks, thinly sliced (white part only)
    • ground turmeric 2 tablespoons
    • garlic 4 cloves, peeled and sliced
    • small red eschalots 10 (or 2 medium Spanish onions), peeled and sliced
    • brown sugar 1/2 cup
    • salt 3 teaspoons
    • dark soy 1 – 2 teaspoons
    • vegetable oil 1/2 cup
    • ground coriander 2 tablespoons
    • ground cumin 2 tablespoons
    Accompaniments
    • jasmine rice 2 cups, washed and drained
    • water 1 litre
    • salt 1 teaspoon
    • fresh pineapple 1, skin and core removed, cut into 1cm thick triangles
    • Spanish onions 2, peeled, diced into large 2cm cubes and layers separated
    • Lebanese cucumbers quartered lengthways, then sliced into 2cm pieces

    To make peanut sauce: blend rempah ingredients until you achieve a fine paste. Set aside. Pour rempah into a heavy bottom saucepan or wok and bring to a medium heat. Stir continuously to make sure the bottom isn’t catching and cook until there is very little steam rising from the sauce. At this stage, the oil will have split from the spice paste, caramelising into a lovely dark red and developing a beautiful fragrance. Add water and bring to boil. Add tamarind, lime, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and half the crushed peanuts. Bring to boil again, remove from heat and set aside until required. Add the remaining nuts and give sauce a stir just before for a nice bit of crunch. At the very end, TASTE. If you feel something is lacking, the sauce just needs some balancing with more seasoning or a squeeze of lime juice. Set aside. For the Satays: cutting the meat for a satay is very difficult to describe because it’s not a straight slice or dice. What you want to achieve is something like an elongated triangle that is cut against the grain, no more than 2 cm wide at its widest, 1 cm thick and 3-4 cm long, irregular in shape but similar in size. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate in a large mixing bowl. To start the marinade: blend all marinade ingredients to a fine paste. Tip all the meat and marinade into a snaplock bag. Massage meat through bag, ensuring every piece of meat is coated with the marinade, push all the air out and seal. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight. Following the length of each piece of meat, pierce evenly through the centre making sure each piece is sitting flatly. Thread about 3-4 pieces onto each skewer. The end appearance of each skewer will be a thin thread of meat which basically has 2 flat sides, making the satay easy to turn and cook. Grill over coals or on a bbq until meat is slightly charred and cooked through. To make pressed rice: combine rice and water in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Boil for 10 minutes then cover and simmer on medium heat for another 10 minutes. Turn heat off and allow rice to rest for another 15 minutes. Spread rice evenly into a foil-lined, 20 x 20 cm square baking tin, cover with foil and then press with an oven mitt over your hand, to compress the rice evenly. Allow to cool completely to room temperature before cutting into 2 cm cubes. To serve: divide peanut sauce into individual bowls and place satays, pineapple, onion, cucumber and cubed rice at the centre of the table to share.