Jacky Lam's Malaysian Satay

Jacky Lam, owner/chef at KK Restaurant in Epsom, provides his recipe for a classic Malaysian satay below.

Directions

For the satay marinade:

Part (A)

6 cloves of garlic
3 stalks of lemongrass
10 shallot
100g galangal
50g ginger

Blend above ingredients until they become a paste consistency and set aside.

Part (B)

½ tbsp turmeric powder
6 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp soya oil
Salt and pepper to season

Mix (A) and (B) together and this will become your marinade.

Take 500g of chicken meat (leg or thigh) and cut into 2cm pieces. Mix the chicken with the marinade and let it marinate for a few hours before use, or overnight for the best results.

For the satay peanut sauce:

(A)

3 peeled onions
3 candlenuts (candlenut is used to thicken Malaysian dishes and can be found in speciality food stores)
2 stalks of lemon grass
6 cloves of garlic
200g ginger

Blend above ingredients into a smooth paste and set aside in a separate container.

Blend 200g pineapple into a smooth paste and set this aside also.

120ml oil for cooking
5 tbsp chilli paste
1 tbsp curry powder 1 tspn turmeric powder 6 tbsp coconut cream 3 tbsp peanut butter

Method:

Heat wok or pan and add oil for cooking. Add the chilli paste and cook until it has changed to a bright red glossy colour. Add the blended paste mix (A) and continue to cook until delicious aromas begin to arise.

Lower to a medium heat and add the curry and turmeric powders. Stir slowly until oil begins to float on the top. Add coconut cream and peanut butter and stir again until oil floats on the top. Watch out after you add the peanut butter – it can burn fast if not stirred well.

Finally add the pineapple paste and bring to boil, then add sugar and seasoning to taste.

To cook the meat:

Thread the marinated meat into bamboo skewers and cook over a grill or on the barbecue until the meat is cooked through – the cooking time will depend on the size of the pieces of meat.

Garnish grilled satay skewers with peanut sauce for dipping and enjoy, delicious!

Jacky’s tips

Every satay is unique, especially in Malaysia. The taste is very personal. To make a perfect satay, I recommend trying different ingredients – it can become your own special recipe. Some people add yoghurt to the satay marinate, it tastes good too.