Most anyone reading this post has tasted Chicken Satay, often in a Thai restaurant or served as an appetizer at some catered event. While in college, I had the opportunity to live and study in Indonesia and Malaysia where I became addicted to satay (“saté” in Indonesian language). I probably ate chicken or pork saté street food grilled over coconut shell charcoal accompanied by steamed rice, nasi goreng or nasi campur (fried rice mixed with various vegetables and condiments) at least every other day. A national dish of Indonesia, saté probably originated in Java as a result of the influence of Arab traders centuries ago. The popular Middle Eastern “kabob” (grilled meat on a stick) was adopted by Javanese cooks and adapted to local palates using popular local spices and condiments resulting in the numerous regional variations of saté in Indonesia. Over time, this popular Indonesian street food spread throughout Southeast Asian countries and evolved to reflect the regional culinary preferences of countries including Malasia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam to name a few. This recipe typifies “saté ayam Madura” (chicken saté from Madura Island off the north-east coast of Java) and is included in a cook book titled “Coconut and Sambal: recipes from my Indonesian Kitchen” by Lara Lee whose extended family lives on Madura. It is best grilled over charcoal (especially if you can find coconut shell charcoal), but it is still delicious when done over a gas grill. If you’re familiar with Thai style satay, expand your satay appreciation and give this authentic recipe a try. You may never order satay out again! Enjoy!

CHICKEN SATAY MADURA STYLE (Saté Ayam Madura)
Makes: About a dozen skewers
Serves: 2–4

INGREDIENTS:
>1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
>2 tablespoons coconut oil for brushing on the grill
For the marinade:
> 3 tablespoons kecap manis, sweet dark soy sauce (available in Asian markets)
> ¼ teaspoon salt
> ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
> Zest of 1 lime
Combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken, toss to coat the pieces evenly, and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (or longer).

For the glaze
> Juice of ½ lime
> 3 tablespoons kecap manis
Place the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan over high heat and reduce until thickened. Set aside. You will use this to baste the chicken on the grill.

PREPARATION:
You will need about a dozen bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before use so they do not burn during cooking.
The chicken:
Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature. Thread 4–5 chicken pieces (or more) onto each of the soaked skewers. Brush lightly with coconut oil. When ready to cook, brush the grill with coconut oil, then add the chicken skewers.
Place the skewers so one end of the skewer is not over direct heat. Cook the chicken for 6–8 minutes or until cooked through, rotating the skewers every couple of minutes. While it cooks, brush it with the glaze. Once cooked, tent and rest for 5 minutes.
To serve, pour a generous puddle of peanut sauce (recipe follows) on the middle of the plate. Arrange the skewers on top of the peanut sauce. Alternatively, drizzle the sauce over the chicken skewers, or use the sauce as a dipping sauce in a separate bowl.

Peanut Sauce (Sambal Kacang)
Makes: about ¾ cup
Ingredients:
>2 long red chiles, deseeded and very finely chopped
> 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
> 4 tablespoons kecap manis
> 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)
> 2 teaspoons tamarind paste (or 2 teaspoons lime juice mixed with 2 teaspoons brown sugar)
> Large pinch sea salt
> Sunflower oil, for frying

PREPARATION:
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add the chiles and garlic, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
Place the fried peanuts or peanut butter in a small food processor along with the cooked garlic and chiles, kecap manis, tamarind paste (or lime juice+brown sugar), and salt. Pulse briefly, then add a splash of water to loosen the sauce and pulse again. Gradually add water (about 4 tablespoons) and continue to pulse until the sauce is a pourable consistency. Season with salt or more kecap manis as needed.

Peanut sauce will last for up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. Add a small amount of water to the sauce when you reheat it.

Serve with steamed rice and veggies. I like to use a sweet-sour-spicy carrot and cucumber salad as an accompaniment.

Wine pairing: a white wine that will stand up to the complex spicy-sweetness of the peanut sauce, like a dry Riesling, dry Pinot Gris, or Viognier. You could also try Pinot Grigio or softer white wine from the Loire Valley in France.

Source: “Coconut & Sambal: Recipes from my Indonesian Kitchen”: Lara Lee, Bloomsbury; 2020
https://heated.medium.com/simply-satay-9ab8737fe388

print recipe