THAI CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Satay is a very popular delicacy in Indonesia and Malaysia. This chicken satay is served on lettuce leaves and can be used for an appetizer or an entree.  This is an inexpensive, tasty dish for the whole family.

Chicken and marinade:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts.  [ This breasts can be bought in bulk and frozen for easy access ]
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons honey or sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

For Serving:

Thai Peanut Sauce [ recipe included]
1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce, separated into leaves, rinsed, trimmed
Diced cucumber

Directions:

Rinse the chicken under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels.  cut the beasts lengthwise [with the grain] into 16 strips, each 4 inches long, 1/2 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick. set aside while you prepare the marinade

Marinade:

Combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, honey garlic and turmeric in a medium-size bowl and whisk to blend.  Add the chicken to the marinate and toss thoroughly to coat.  Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, 20 minutes to 2 hours [[the longer the better].

Preheat the grill to high

Weave the chicken strips lengthwise on to the skewers.  When ready to cook, oil the grill grate.  Arrange the satay on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until lightly browned and cooked through, 1 to 3 minutes per side [ 2 to 6 minutes in all ] .

Transfer the satay to serving plates and serve, accompanied by tiny bowls of the peanut sauce.  to eat, place a satay on a lettuce leaf and top the chicken with a spoonful of the sauce and top with some cucumber, if desired; wrap the lettuce around the satay and pull out the skewer.


Ingredients:
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 or 2 Thai, Serrano, or jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced [ for a spicier sauce, leave the seeds in ]
1 clove garlic, minced
2 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed and minced
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup coconut milk, plus more if needed to thin the sauce
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce or soy sauce, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or more to taste
2 teaspoons sugar, or more to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro [ optional]

Directions:
Combine the ginger, chili, garlic, scallions, peanut butter, /13 cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, and the cilantro in a small, heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring well to mix, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until richly flavored, about 10 minutes.  The sauce should be thick, but pourable; then with coconut milk, if needed.

Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning, adding fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar as necessary; the sauce should be highly seasoned.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  The sauce will keep, tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.