Sweet as a nut

May 18 2008 Michael Kilkie Of The Jefferson Restaurant

Wherever you travel in the world, different people will have their own take on recipes for specific dishes.

Classic dishes are handed down the ages with people adding their own twists to update them or suit their own tastes.

Such recipes change slightly from region to region or even village to village, whether it's a curry in India, a risotto in Italy or a burger in America.

Today's recipe is no different. Originating in Asia, satay is now a world famous dish. But if you do a bit of research, you'll find recipes ranging from no more than four ingredients to ones with more than 20. My recipe sits somewhere in the middle.

Satay comes in various different guises. I like to use my sauce for dipping but often satays will have it through the finished dish of chicken or beef and various vegetables.

Now we're hurtling towards barbecue season, today's satay sauce is great as the chicken, fish and even bangers come off the grill.

The sauce is surprisingly easy to make. The basis of a satay sauce is peanut butter, smooth or crunchy depending on your taste. I like the crunchy variety. My personal choice is to add a carton of coconut cream which has a thicker texture than coconut milk.

I have also used soy sauce which gives the dish its seasoning or saltiness. Asian cooking probably more so than any other styles relies heavily on the balancing of flavours such as sweet, salty, hot or sour.

So, for example, where soy gives the saltiness, honey can give sweetness, chilli hotness and lime juice the required sourness.

It's all about finding a balance that suits your palate and it's great fun messing around with ingredients in Asian cooking. If you're not too keen on spicy food simply omit the chilli - there will still be plenty of flavour in the sauce without it.

But, if like me you're a bit of a chilli fiend then crank the heat up a little by adding more.

The sauce also goes well with pork and beef as well as chicken.

I've also given you a quick marinade for whatever meat you are using. It will add extra flavour to the finished dish. Having said that, the sauce is so tasty it works well with meat that hasn't been marinated.

A little wedge of lime on the side along with fresh coriander makes a perfect light garnish.

CHICKEN WITH SATAY SAUCE

SERVES 4

1 jar crunchy peanut butter

1 carton coconut cream

1 tsp chilli powder

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Juice and zest 1 lime

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

4 chicken breasts, cut into long strips

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp oil

Place all the satay sauce ingredients together and heat gently in a pan for about 10 mins until thickened. If the sauce becomes too thick, simply thin it down with a little water

Toss the chicken strips in the oil and season with salt and pepper, place on a tray under the grill or in the oven and cook for about 8 min until cooked through

Serve the chicken with the satay sauce for dipping and fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.

To turn this into the perfect barbecue dish, it's best to cook the chicken on skewers so they're easy to cook - and easy to handle. I find the best skewers to use are the long wooden ones. Metal ones can get too hot and could cause burns. Soak the skewers in warm water for around half an hour before threading meat on as this will stop them burning on the barbecue.

To add an extra dimension to the dish here's a simple marinade for your chicken, pork or beef. Fry an onion, 2 cloves of garlic and 2 red chillies in some oil until soft but not coloured, add 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 tsp of ground cumin and continue to fry for 1 min. Remove from heat and mix in the juice of 1 lime, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Blitz it all together using a hand blender or food processor, mix well in to the meat and marinade for up to 8 hours.