Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

I made this for one of my Wine Appreciation classes - it was very easy, and REALLY good!  Very authentic taste.  I got the recipe on line, and really tweaked it very little.  The recipe for the spring rolls will be in a different post

Ingredients:

·         8-12 skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips

·         1 package wooden skewers

·         SATAY MARINADE:

·         1/4 cup minced lemongrass , fresh or frozen ( I used lemongrass in a jar)

·         2 shallots 

·         3 cloves garlic

·         1-2 fresh red chilies, sliced

·         1 thumb-size piece ginger, minced

·         1/2 tsp. dried turmeric

·         2 Tbsp. ground coriander

·         2 tsp. cumin

·         3 Tbsp. dark soy sauce (available at Asian food stores)

·         4 Tbsp. fish sauce

·         5-6 Tbsp. brown sugar ( to taste)

·         2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Preparation:: .

1.        If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the meat (to prevent burning). 

2.        Cut chicken into thin strips and place in a bowl.

3.        Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor  - pulse until emulsified.

4.        Taste-test the marinade - you will taste sweet, spicy, and salty. The strongest tastes should be SWEET and SALTY in order for the finished satay to taste its best. Add more sugar or more fish sauce (in place of salt) to adjust the taste. You can also add more chili if you want it spicier.

5.        Pour the marinade over the meat and stir well to combine. Allow at least 1 hour for marinating, or longer (up to 24 hours).

6.        When ready to cook, thread meat onto the skewers. Tip: Fill up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person grilling has a "handle" to easily turn the satay during cooking.

7.        Grill the satay on your BBQ, OR on an indoor grill, basting the first time you time it with a little of the leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl. OR you can broil in the oven on a broiling pan or baking sheet with the oven set to "broil" Place satay close beneath the heating element and turn the meat every 5 minutes until cooked (be sure to soak your wooden satay sticks in water before skewering). Depending on how thin your meat is, the satay should cook in 10 to 20 minutes.

Peanut Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients:         

·         1 cup fresh-tasting dry roasted peanuts, unsalted

·         1/3 cup water

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce

·         2 tsp. sesame oil

·         1 to 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, to taste

·         2  Tbsp. fish sauce 

·          2 Tbsp. lime juice

·         1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

·         1/3 cup coconut milk

Preparation:

1.        Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth. If you prefer a runnier peanut sauce, add a little more water or coconut milk.

2.        Do a taste test, adding more fish sauce (or soy sauce) if not salty enough, or more cayenne if not spicy enough. If too salty, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you'd prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar.

3.        Serve warm or at room temperature with Chicken Satay

4.        Note: This sauce tends to thicken as it sits - just add a little water or coconut milk to thin it out, as needed. Otherwise it stores well if kept covered in the refrigerator (keep up to 2 weeks; freeze thereafter).