Satehs with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Submitted by incu79
Indonesian chicken sateh skewers marinated in lemongrass, garlic, and curry, grilled over fire and drenched in a silky coconut-peanut sauce with fish sauce and lime.
YIELD
3 servingsPREP
140 minCOOK
20 minREADY
160 minIndonesian-style chicken satay (spelled sateh in older Dutch-influenced transliterations) with a proper homemade peanut sauce, not the bottled stuff. Chicken cubes marinate for hours in a blender paste of lemongrass, garlic, red pepper flakes, curry powder, brown sugar, and oil. Then they thread onto skewers and hit the grill or broiler fast and hot.
The peanut sauce is where the recipe really earns its reputation. Shallots, garlic, and finely chopped lemongrass sauté in oil with curry and chili, then simmer in chicken stock with bay leaves and fish sauce. Coconut milk and ground peanuts go in last for body and richness. The sauce stays subtle on the peanut front; it shouldn’t taste like peanut butter, just deeply savory with a nutty undertone.
Serve the skewers over jasmine rice with peanut sauce spooned over everything and extra sauce at the table for dipping. Offer hot pepper, fish sauce, lime, honey, and vinegar for guests to customize their heat and seasoning.
Chef Tips
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before threading. This keeps them from burning on the grill.
- Chop the lemongrass very finely. Coarse lemongrass is unpleasantly fibrous in the final sauce.
- Don’t boil the peanut sauce once coconut milk goes in. Vigorous heat curdles the coconut milk; gentle warming is the move.
- Marinate at least 2 hours, but overnight is much better. The curry and lemongrass need time to penetrate the chicken.
Variations
- Swap chicken for pork tenderloin, beef sirloin, or shrimp for different protein options.
- Add 1 tablespoon tamarind paste to the peanut sauce for authentic Indonesian sour-savory balance.
- Top with crispy fried shallots and fresh cilantro for a street-food-style presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare marinade in blender or food processor.
Set aside.
Bone chicken and cut into cubes around ½ inch on a side.
Slide cubes onto soaked wooden or flat metal skewers.
(Make the satehs the right length for your bbq or broiler.)
Load the satehs into a shallow bowl or baking dish .
Slather with marinade.
Let sit in fridge for 2 to 24 hours.
To make peanut sauce, peel and chop lemon grass, shallots and garlic.
The lemon grass should be chopped very finely.
Heat oil in a skillet.
When hot, sauté the shallots, garlic, lemon grass, curry powder and pepper flakes or cayenne for 2 or 3 minutes, until light brown.
(Use hood fan - intense fumes!) Stir in the chicken stock, lemon juice, around 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and bay leaves.
Simmer gently for a few minutes.
Now stir in coconut milk and about 2 tablespoonsp ground peanuts or chunky peanut butter.
Cook gently, stirring constantly, until hot but not quite bubbling (coconut milk has a tendency to curdle if cooked too hot).
TASTE IT.
The peanut flavor should be in there, but subtle.
Adjust flavors to your satisfaction with hot pepper, fish sauce and/or peanut until it’s right on.
Cook down gently to desired thickness (or thin with chicken broth or water), and take off heat.
Reheat gently when about to serve the satehs.
Get your rice going, and start barbecuing or broiling the satehs.
Stockpile them in a warm oven until all are done.
Serve satehs with rice, both drenched in peanut sauce.
Pass more peanut sauce around the table, along with a heat source for those who want more fire, such as vinegar/fish sauce/lime juice/fresh hot pepper/honey.
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