51吃瓜网

Unlike its Japanese counterpart, Malaysian satay is heavily marinated and served alongside nutty, spiced sauces. Marinating chicken imparts flavor, tenderizes and moistens the meat, so we can use cuts like sasami (chicken tenderloin) that might otherwise be considered too dry for direct-flame grilling. I left mine whole, but cubing the chicken also works.

For a local spin, I have opted for sesame over peanuts, which also sidesteps the potential danger of a common allergen.

These skewers are my go-to summer barbecue crowd-pleaser. They cook equally well atop the grill or in a toaster oven. For barbecuing, soaking the wooden skewers and wrapping the ends in foil can be good, but it is not strictly necessary if you stay attentive while grilling.

Perfect as a starter, these skewers can easily become a meal atop a bed of rice or with roti flatbreads. The marinade can be used for any meat you like to grill or even tofu. I like the satay sauce served for dipping with cucumbers, asparagus, celery or any other seasonal veggie.

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 mins. plus up to one day for marinade

Cook time: 20 mins.

Ingredients:

• 6 sasami chicken tenderloins
• 6 wooden skewers

Marinade:

• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 2 tablespoons shoyu kōji (soy sauce mixed with dry yeast)
• ? small onion, diced or grated
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil
• ? small onion, finely diced or grated
• 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoon neri goma (ground brown sesame paste) or tahini
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Optional: sesame seeds, picked cilantro and chili oil to garnish

1. At least an hour before cooking (one full day is preferable), mix all the marinade ingredients together, then coat your chicken and refrigerate. If you have picky eaters, trim the white ligaments off the chicken before marinating.

2. For the sauce, sweat the onion, ginger and garlic in oil in a small pot over low heat.

3. When the onion is transparent, add the neri goma, vinegar, tamari and sugar, then stir to combine. If the sauce thickens too much, add water a tablespoon at a time and simmer low for five minutes.

4. Thread the chicken onto your skewers, then grill over charcoal embers or in a fish grill, for five to seven minutes per side or until the edges are nicely browned.

5. If you prefer, top the sauce with a little chili oil and finish the chicken skewers with a dusting of cilantro and sesame seeds.