Chicken And Prawn Satay
This spicy Chicken and Prawn Satay with Peanut Sauce is one of the best appetizer recipes there is.
Servings
2people
Servings
2people
Ingredients
For the marinade
For the sauce
Instructions
Making the satay
  1. Take the chicken pieces and flatten them using a meat-tenderizing mallet or the side of the blade of a heavy cleaver. Alternatively, you can carefully slice them thinly.
  2. In a hot frying pan, gently toast the coriander and cumin seeds, then crush in a pestle and mortar or spice-grinder. Combine the spices with the rest of the ingredients to form a marinade. Split this into two bowls and add the chicken to one and the peeled prawns to the other. Cover both bowls and allow to marinate in the fridge overnight. At the same time, cover the wooden sticks with water and leave to soak overnight to prevent the wood from burning under the grill.
  3. When ready to cook, thread the chicken pieces on to the skewers, piercing through the meat once or twice to form a loose gather. Push the prawns on to separate sticks. Don’t combine chicken and prawns on the same skewer.
  4. The completed sticks are then grilled or cooked on a griddle at a fairly high heat. Turn them regularly and brush liberally with the remaining marinade. Cooking should take between five and ten minutes, depending on the heat of your cooker.
Making the sauce
  1. Grind or crush the nuts to a fairly fine powder. Combine them with the remaining ingredients, except the lime juice, to form a smooth sauce. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it with a little chicken stock. Lastly, add the lime juice, tasting as you do so to check the balance of flavours is correct. Serve the skewers with the nut sauce to dip into, and plenty of napkins.
Recipe Notes
  • Choose a large variety of prawns, they are best for satays.
  • Take care when dry-frying the spices that you don’t overcook them. You’re looking for a lovely golden colour. Don’t let them go deep brown or they’ll taste burnt. The toasting really brings out their flavour.
  • When threading the chicken pieces on to the skewers, fold over the strips so that you get a concertina effect. The cooked result should be fairly tight on the skewer.
  • These taste especially good done on a smoky barbecue, but Scottish winters are not known as the best time for cooking al fresco. Luckily, they also make great Christmas party food, and can be cooked just as well on a griddle pan or under the grill.
  • Make sure the temperature you grill at is hot and that you don’t overcook the meat as it will dry out.