Satay Chicken Skewers with Thai Almond Dipping Sauce

These favorite Thai appetizers are a hit for parties, potlucks or weekend snacks. Their mildly-spiced, sweet flavors make them a winner for kids too! If you want to fore go the chicken, the almond sauce makes a great dip for Thai summer rolls or even as a dressing for a grated carrot and raisin salad.

Nutrition Tip: I baked some of these in the oven (vs grilled) to see how they’d turn out and they were quite tasty. The only thing lacking was the signature grill marks and the “caramelized” taste that comes with browned meats.

EQUIPMENT
Blender or food processor
14 (6-inch) skewers
Gas, charcoal or stovetop grill

MARINADE
1/2 cup peanut or almond butter (try my Home Made Nut Butter)
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 packed cup cilantro leaves
3-4 tablespoons honey or several drops liquid stevia extract
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 medium shallot
2 cloves garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Dash cayenne pepper or red chili flakes

CHICKEN
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
14 6-inch skewers
Cilantro leaves (for garnish)

Throw all of the marinade ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water only if it’s very thick.

Divide the marinade in half, placing half into a large shallow dish for the chicken marinade, and the other half into a small serving dish for the dipping sauce. Cover the dipping sauce and refrigerate until needed.

Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch wide strips that are 2-3 inches long. Toss the chicken into the bowl with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) to allow the flavors to develop and the ginger to soften the meat.

Remove the dipping sauce from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. Add a touch of water or lime juice if it is still very thick at room temperature.

Skewer the meat onto the sticks, spreading the strips out along the sticks, allowing as much meat as possible to be open to the heat. Lay them onto a plate lined with paper towels and pat-dry both top and bottom, removing excess marinade that will burn on the grill.

Heat the grill to medium. Grill 2-3 minutes each side, making sure thicker pieces cook all the way through.

Place the skewers on a plate or platter. Drizzle with the remaining marinade, or leave on the side as a dip. Garnish the plate with the cilantro leaves.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2010. Alison Anton. All rights reserved.