Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
A few weeks back Natalie whipped up a batch of her favorite peanut sauce to accompany her family's dinner. A hearty chicken, rice and veggie bowl was made all the more tasty with the layered flavors of peanut sauce and, not surprisingly, everyone (including the kids) quickly devoured it. I’ve heard the lore of this peanut sauce for sometime now, but for whatever reason just hadn't gotten around to making it myself. Luckily for me peanut sauce "leftover lunch" day landed on a day I had come by Natalie’s house to work on some things for The Modern Proper. Yes! I finally had the opportunity to taste it myself and let me tell you, even as leftovers it was all it had been made out to be. It was so good in fact, I insisted we share it here with all of you and fortunately Natalie was more than willing.
Incredibly versatile, flavor packed, and that perfect balance of just slightly spicy and so, so rich and savory.
When we sat down to plan ahead who'd be cooking what for TMP in the upcoming month, I jumped at the chance to make this sauce myself. You see, one of the perks of working on a food blog is that your family gets to eat the results of your “day in the office.” Many times that means lunch or dinner is taken care of (even if that means cake or ice cream is occasionally the main course) and it's one less thing we need to do. Fine by me. And so, I was secretly thinking in the back of my head that I wanted to be the one to cook and photograph this dish so that my family could be the one to enjoy it when I was done. Ulterior Motives for sure, but can you blame me?
My kids definitely aren't the worst eaters, but they pick their battles and dinners can often be a challenge. Add to that the extreme dairy allergy my son has, and the tummy sensitivities of my daughter and it should go without saying that dinner is as much of a challenge for me as anyone. I'm always looking for safe foods my kids can eat (yes safe, as in no trips to the ER) and want to eat. That can be a tricky combo. This peanut sauce recipe has no dairy in it, yet is incredibly rich and creamy because it's made with coconut milk. It's also completely gluten free. Win, win.
So, whether you're like me and are cooking for tricky eaters, or just looking for that weekly take-out substitute, this peanut sauce is where it's at. Incredibly versatile, flavor packed, and that perfect balance of just slightly spicy and so, so rich and savory. Make it, put it on everything, love it as much as we do. Check, check, check.
Just for fun, here's a list of all the things you can make with your leftover peanut sauce...
- chicken Thai pizza
- fresh rolls
- stir fry
- cold or warm soba noodles
- Swimming Rama
- kababs chicken and veggie
- Thai chicken salad
- peanut butter popcorn?
- Thai chicken burgers
- Thai inspired coleslaw with peanut sauce
- Thai chicken sandwich wraps
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Serves 4
Chicken Satay
| 2 lbs | boneless skinless chicken tenders, pounded to be extra thin |
| 1/3 cup | coconut milk |
| 4 | garlic cloves |
| 1 tbsp | tumeric |
| 2 tbsp | freshly chopped cilantro (plus more for garnishing) |
| 2 tbsp | brown sugar |
| 2 tbsp | fish sauce |
| 1/2 tsp | sea salt |
| 1/4 cup | crushed peanuts |
Peanut Sauce
| 13.5 oz | can of full fat coconut milk |
| 2 oz | thai red curry paste |
| 3/4 cup | unsweetened natural cream peanut butter |
| 1/2 tbsp | salt |
| 3/4 cup | sugar |
| 2 tbsp | apple cider vinegar or white vinegar |
| 1/2 cup | water |
Cucumber Salad
| 1 | large cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced |
| 1/4 cup | rice vinegar |
| 3 tbsp | sugar |
| pinch of sea salt | |
| 1 tsp | red pepper flakes |
| 1 tbsp | sesame oil |
| 2 | green onion, thinly sliced |
Method
- In a small bowl combine coconut milk, garlic cloves, turmeric, cilantro, brown sugar, fish sauce and salt.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer and pour the marinade over the top. Cover and allow to marinate for 2 hours or overnight. Alternatively, place the chicken and marinate in a ziplock back and seal tight, removing excess air.
- While the chicken is marinating, prepare the peanut sauce. In a small sauce pan, add all the ingredients. Whisking to combine, bring the sauce to a low simmer.
- Allow to cook 5 minutes, stirring continually to make sure that the sauce doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Can be stored for up to a week. If it gets too thick, just warm up over the stove with a few drops of water.
- To make the cucumber salad, simply combine ingredients together in a small bowl and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Preheat grill on medium heat for 10 minutes. Using bamboo or metal skewers, weave through the meat lengthwise. Place chicken on the prepared grill and allow to cook without moving for 3-5 minutes. Turn the meat and grill just until chicken is cooked through, about 2 more minutes.
- Remove from grill and garnish with cilantro and fresh peanuts. Serve with peanut sauce and cucumber salad. Enjoy!
*Recipe for this peanut sauce was developed by shesimmers.
