Chicken Satay by Nick Nairn
NICK NAIRN is one of Scotland’s
best-loved chefs, first discovering
his love of food while travelling
the world with the Merchant
Navy. He now runs successful cook schools and campaigns for better quality food in schools.
Serves 2 as a starter
Ingredients
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
4 tsp light brown sugar
4 tsp Thai fish sauce
4 tbsp (60ml) coconut milk
6 chicken fillets
1 tsp curry powder (we use hot Madras)
pinch turmeric powder
¼ lime, juice only
Sesame oil
For the peanut dip;
100g freshly roasted (unsalted) peanuts
1 clove of garlic, chopped
25g onion, chopped
1-2 tbsp red curry paste
1 tsp fish sauce
8 tbsp coconut milk
4-6 tsp lime juice (to taste)
2-3 tsp brown sugar
To serve;
Lime wedges
8 bamboo skewers
Method
1 For the satay, measure the dry
spices into a clean bowl and add the crushed garlic and grated ginger. Combine with the sugar, Thai fish sauce and coconut milk to form a marinade.
2 Now add the chicken fillets and marinate in the fridge overnight, covered. At the same time cover the bamboo skewers with water and leave to soak. This will prevent the wood from burning on the grill.
3 To cook, thread the pieces of chicken onto the satay skewers, loosely folding them in half and piercing through the folded meat to form a zigzag. This will maximise the amount of marinade on the meat.
4 Dress the completed skewers with a little sesame oil then grill under a fairly high heat. Turn them regularly and brush liberally with the remaining marinade. Cooking should take between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the heat of your grill. We use a thermoprobe to test the cooked temperature to 80C.
5 For the peanut dip, crush the peanuts to a fairly fine powder in a food processor. Combine them with the remaining ingredients (except the lime juice), to form a smooth sauce. Thin it with a little chicken stock if necessary. Now add the lime juice, tasting as you progress to check the balance of flavours is correct.
In association with Taste Communications.
www.tastecommunications.co.uk
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