Indonesian recipe
How to make Satay
sate
Port cities of Java and Sumatra, now everywhere in Indonesia
Small pieces of marinated chicken, goat or beef threaded on bamboo skewers and grilled over charcoal, usually served with a peanut sauce, rice cakes and sliced shallots. Satay sellers fan the glowing coals on their street carts in the evening. Sate Madura, from the island of Madura, is one of the best known styles.
Ingredients
- 600 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm pieces
- For the marinade: 3 tablespoons kecap manis, 2 cloves garlic (crushed), 1 teaspoon ground coriander and 1 tablespoon oil
- Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
- For the peanut sauce: 150 g roasted unsalted peanuts, 2 cloves garlic, 1 red chilli, 2 tablespoons kecap manis, 1 teaspoon palm or brown sugar, juice of 1 lime and about 250 ml water
- To serve: sliced shallots, cucumber and rice cakes or rice
Method
- Mix the chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- For the sauce, blend the peanuts, garlic and chilli to a coarse paste. Simmer it in a small pan with the kecap manis, sugar and water for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring, until thick. Add the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Peanuts cause serious allergies, so warn your guests.
- Thread the chicken onto the skewers, 4 or 5 pieces each.
- Grill over charcoal or under a hot grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning often, until browned and cooked through with no pink left.
- Serve hot with the peanut sauce poured over or on the side, with shallots, cucumber and rice cakes.
Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.
Satay was shaped by many visitors: kebabs brought by Muslim traders, Indian spices and Chinese bamboo skewers all came together in the ports of the islands.
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