FABULOUS CHARRED CHICKEN SATAY AND COCONUT BRAISED RICE

ROASTED CRUSHED PEANUT CHICKEN SATAY WITH COCONUT AND

CORIANDER FRAGRANT RICE

INGREDIENTS

2 large chicken breasts

2 cans of coconut milk

1 inch of lemongrass fine chopped

1 shallot fine chopped

1 tsp palm sugar

2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 red chilli fine chopped

2 tsp Thai red curry paste

100g peanuts crushed

1 handful of rough chopped coriander

Take the chicken and slice length ways into fingers and place in a bowl, rub thoroughly with 1 tsp of the red Thai curry paste and rest in the fridge for half hour, if you leave for 3-4 hours even better. 

In a hot dry non stick pan toast the crushed peanuts till golden, leave to one side.

To cook the coconut rice, it is the same as the usual absorption method, take 1cup of rice and 2 cups of coconut milk, plus another 50ml for luck.  Place together in a pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, leaving the lid on take the pan off the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes, now your rice will be perfectly cooked and ready to serve.

While the rice is cooking, soften the shallot and lemongrass in a dash of ooil for a few minutes, add the palm sugar and caramelise.  Pour in 2/3 of a tin of coconut milk, add the peanut butter, tamarind, Thai red curry paste and simmer for a few minutes till everything has melted together.  Taste and adjust the flavour by adding a touch more of any of the ingredients.

To cook the chicken skewers, I like to cook these on a hot coal BBQ, but you can cook them on a griddle or plancher indoors, these will cook really quickly in a couple of minutes, and try to let some of the chicken to catch and burn slightly, this will add another great depth of flavour to the dish and I feel makes it so much tastier.

To serve, the choice is yours, leave the chicken on the skewers and pour over the satay sauce, finish off  with some of the toasted crushed peanuts, chilli and coriander, and serve the rice on the side, OR tear the chicken off the skewers and place on top of the rice in your serving dish, pour over the sauce and sprinkle the top again with crushed peanuts, chilli and coriander.