Vday Part 1: Chicken Satay

My husband and I love peanut butter.  We eat it every single day in exorbitant quantities and should probably lock up our peanut butter supply for our own good.  Realistically, that will never ever happen.  

For Valentine’s Day dinner, I was stumped on what to make for an appetizer.  I already knew I was making sushi for the entrée per my husband’s special request (what a lucky man hah), so I figured it would make sense to stick to the Asian route for the appetizer.  We both love Thai food, so the first thing I thought of was chicken satay with peanut sauce; especially fitting for us, since the chicken skewers are dipped in what is essentially just peanut butter.  Granted, traditional Thai peanut sauce is made with ground peanuts rather than peanut butter, but I’m all for Tyler Florence’s simple Americanized version.  

I’ve always wanted to make this because chicken (or anything for that matter) dipped in Thai peanut sauce is one of my most favorite things.  This recipe is incredibly easy, and it doesn’t take long at all.  If you don’t have a grill or grill pan like me, you can bake the chicken skewers.  I baked mine in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, and they came out pretty darn awesome if I may say so myself.  Let me tell you, that peanut sauce…I’m speechless.  No need to bother getting takeout from your local Thai restaurant, just make your own chicken satay.  Tyler’s recipe below calls for smooth peanut butter, but I personally love the peanut chunks so went with my extra crunchy Skippy. 

       

As you can see from the photos, I didn’t bother laying out my skewers on lettuce leaves as directed by Tyler Florence.  I knew we would end up throwing the lettuce aside and would be focused solely on the chicken and peanut sauce. 

Marinated chicken ready to be baked

I love cilantro. And yes, that is an ice cream bowl holding the peanut sauce

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 10 – 15 min

Yield: 20 skewers

Ingredients

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes

Vegetable oil, for grilling

Butter lettuce leaves

Fresh cilantro leaves

Peanut sauce

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons red chili paste, such as sambal

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 limes, juiced

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a shallow mixing bowl, stir to combine. 

2. Place the chicken strips in the yogurt marinade and gently toss until well coated. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.

3. Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle of the piece, so that it stays in place during grilling. 

4. Place a grill pan over medium heat and brush it with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Grill the chicken satays for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through.

5. Serve the satays on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and cilantro; accompanied by a small bowl of peanut sauce on the side.

Peanut Sauce

1. Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, red chili paste, brown sugar, and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Puree to combine. 

2. While the motor is running, drizzle in the hot water to thin out the sauce, you may not need all of it. 

3. Pour the sauce into a nice serving bowl and garnish with the chopped peanuts. Serve with chicken satay. Makes three cups.