Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare the Marinade
- Have your food processor handy, then start by peeling the galangal. Galangal is a fragrant rhizome, similar to ginger, with a citrusy aroma. Use a microplane to grate it finely directly into the food processor bowl. This ensures that its robust flavor is evenly distributed throughout the marinade, and the hard pieces of galangal won't get stuck on the blades of the food processor.
- Take the garlic cloves and peel off the skins. Give them a rough chop to make it easier for your food processor to blend them smoothly. Add it to the bowl of your food processor.
- In your food processor, measure out and add the pepper, salt, tamarind paste, ketjap manis, oil, ground coriander, and sambal oelek. Process everything together until you have a smooth, aromatic paste. This will be the marinade for your chicken satay.
Marinate the Chicken
- Take your chicken breast and cut it into bite-sized chunks, approximately 2½cm (1 inch) in size. This size ensures that the chicken cooks evenly and absorbs the maximum amount of marinade.
- Place the chicken pieces into a glass bowl. Pour the prepared marinade over the chicken, making sure every piece is well-coated. Use your hands or a spatula to mix everything thoroughly.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat. For the best results, marinate overnight.
Prepare the Peanut Sauce
- Peel and chop the garlic cloves, galangal, and shallots. These will form the base of your flavorful peanut sauce.
- In a food processor, combine the chopped garlic, galangal, and shallots with ground coriander, ketjap manis, and sambal oelek. Process everything until you have a smooth paste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut cream in a pot over medium heat. Coconut cream rises to the top of the coconut milk can, so scoop it out carefully. Once the cream is hot, add the spice paste and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking or burning.
- Peel the thick outer layers off the galangal, and cut off the root, and the really dry ends. Then split lengthwise.
- Add the remaining coconut milk, along with the lemongrass (which you should knot to fit in the pan, and it also helps it to release its flavor) and gula jawa (palm sugar). Let this mixture simmer gently for at least 10 minutes, or longer, until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Stir in the peanut butter and lemon juice, allowing the sauce to simmer for another 10 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, adjust the consistency by adding more coconut milk or water. Season with salt to taste. (I had to add one generous pinch of salt to mine)
Grill the Chicken Satay
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Ensure the grates are clean and ready for cooking.
- Carefully thread the marinated chicken chunks onto the soaked skewers. You want to zig-zag through the chicken, without exposing the skewer. The zig-zagging makes the chicken stay better on the skewer. Of course, soaking the skewers helps prevent them from burning during grilling.
- Use a paper, or fabric towel dipped in oil to grease the grill grates. This step helps prevent the chicken from sticking and ensures nice grill marks.
- Place the chicken skewers on the hot grill. I add some folded up aluminum foil under the exposed skewers, as extra protection against burning. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is fully cooked and slightly charred. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 74ºC (165ºF).
