Satay chicken recipe
Fragrance has the power to transport you to another place, trigger memories, and stir emotions. This dish harnesses the transcendent power of the makrut lime leaf to do just that.
Our sense of smell plays an important role in how we perceive flavours, which is what makes fragrant food so evocative. From the enticing scent of freshly baked bread to the enticing perfume of roasting spices, fragrances in food have the power to transport you to another place, trigger memories, and stir emotions. I love to eat dishes where the aroma rouses your appetite before you have taken the first bite. Some ingredients play more intensely with our senses than others: torn basil leaves, crushed sprigs of rosemary or pounded sticks of lemongrass. But for me, the most aromatic of all is the makrut lime leaf. Which could explain why it is one of my favourite ingredients.
Some other delicious recipes you may love:
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- Chicken noodle soup Peter Gilmore taught me
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Believed to be native to Southeast Asia, the makrut lime plant is a citrus tree with bumpy fruit. The juice of the fruit is so bitter it isn’t often used for cooking (more commonly in cleaning), but the dark green, shiny leaves are essential in many dishes in Southeast Asian cooking. In the western world, you’ve likely seen the plant referred to in years gone by as “kaffir lime”, but this name is now avoided. The leaves are highly fragrant, giving a lingering, bold citrus note to anything that crosses their path, yet also a complex, earthy greenness that is unlike anything else.
The once elusive ingredient is now readily available in the herb section of major Australian supermarkets. They also store well in the freezer; I always keep a stash in a snaplock bag in the depths of mine.
Usually, fresh whole leaves are added to flavour curries and soups. But crushing the leaf with your hands before dropping into the pot will help release some of its fragrance and flavour. The leaves can also be sliced very thinly and used as a fresh garnish. When doing so, you must cut out the tough centre vein of the leaf before thinly slicing.
Today I’ve put makrut lime leaf in the spotlight with these crowd-favourite dishes. My peanut and lime chicken takes its cues from satay chicken, a dish that spans across many different cuisines (Indonesia is thought to be the birthplace), each with their own distinct personality. I finish it with a zesty salad.
RECIPE: ‘Satay’ chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 800g-1kg skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon coconut or grapeseed oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 30g ginger, finely chopped or grated
- 270ml can coconut milk
- 375ml chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons kepis manis
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 makrut lime leaves, whole
- 1 regular lime
Salad
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
- ½ bunch mint, leaves picked
- 1 makrut lime leaf, vein removed, sliced
- Juice of 1 regular lime
Method
- Throw turmeric, ground coriander seed, salt and chicken into a snaplock bag. Give it a good shake and rub to coat the chicken in the spices. (This can also be done in a bowl.) Leave in the fridge to marinate, ideally overnight, otherwise for a few hours.
- If you are using the barbecue, preheat to get it smoking hot. Brown your chicken so a good, golden crust forms. Set aside. If you don’t have a barbecue, you can brown chicken in batches on a gridle pan or the pot you plan to cook in.
- Place a heavy, deep-sided pot with a lid on a medium to high heat. Add your oil of choice, along with garlic and ginger. Sauté for 30 seconds, then throw in coconut milk, chicken stock, peanut butter, kepis manis and brown sugar. Crush 2 makrut lime leaves in your hands and drop them in too. Stir to combine and bring the sauce up to a simmer. Add your chicken and turn heat down to low. Pop lid on and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, add zest of 1 lime and a good squeeze of lime juice. This dish is all about balance, so taste and adjust accordingly. For salad, combine ingredients in a bowl. The acid of the lime will mellow out the red onion. Serve chicken on rice and top with salad. Serves 4