Grilled Chicken Satays with Peanut Dipping Sauce

 

I have been begging my mom for a grill/griddle pan for the longest time. Normally these pans are really expensive because they are big, made of cast iron, and dual purpose with a grill on one side and flat top griddle on the other. So of course when I was in the States a couple of weeks ago and saw one on sale for only $20 I jumped at my chance. When I brought it back home my mom was less than thrilled because she thinks that they're too messy and doesn't support the idea of indoor grilling. She claims that I should just use the barbeque but there's no way that I'm going to stand outside in the cold for half and hour...no recipe is worth that in my opinion.

Having already bought the pan I was determined to prepare something that would make my mother see the error of her ways and be as thrilled as I was by the new acquisition. I wanted the first recipe I tried out to be something not too complicated since I actually don't have too much grilling experience...indoor or out. I settled on this recipe for chicken satays because it sounded tasty and not too difficult. The recipe called for chicken breasts but since I had thighs in the fridge I used what was on hand. In hindsight, I think it would have been easier to use the breasts in terms of grilling but the thighs worked too, just a little extra effort was involved in making sure the chicken was consistently cooked through with each piece.

I'm not going to lie...the grilling was messy. There was a lot of smoke involved during the actual cooking and afterward my arm got a good workout scrubbing the excess grease and oil off of the pan. Luckily my house has a "wok kitchen", typical of many houses in this neighborhood with its Asian influence, so I was able to close the door, open the window, turn the fan on and keep the smoke contained to my little kitchen. 

Although it took me a little while to get the hang of the grill, I was pretty good at it by the third batch of skewers that I laid down. As for the recipe itself...it got rave reviews! The marinate made the chicken very flavorful and the peanut dipping sauce complemented it extremely well. I can definitely see myself repeating this dish, perhaps even on the barbeque outside once warmer weather hits. I think I also proved to my mom that it is very feasible to indoor grill within our house and the results can be delicious. Now I'm looking forward to trying out the griddle side with some sort of pancake recipe.

Grilled Chicken Satays with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Note: This recipe makes about 15-20 satays, depending on how you cut and skewer the chicken. 

For the satays:

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 15 thighs, cut into strips
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 2 tsp red curry paste
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp fish or oyster sauce

For the peanut dipping sauce:

• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the marinate ingredients for the satays then add the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, though preferably overnight to allow the chicken to absorb more flavor.
2. Once ready to grill, skewer the chicken pieces onto bamboo skewers. Place chicken on pre-heated grill over medium-high heat. Make sure to leave some space between the skewers so as not to overcrowd the chicken. Grill for about 15-20 minutes, making sure to rotate the skewers so that all sides are consistently cooked. The satays will be done once no longer pink inside or the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the peanut sauce and set aside. Once the chicken satays are ready, serve alongside with the sauce.