Superb Spatchcock Satay Chicken with Chilli Dip and Peanut Cucumber Salad
For me, the best kind of food is that which can be put in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves and share. This meal is exactly that and it's unbelievably tasty to boot!
Most people have come across chicken in a satay sauce in their life but I'm willing to bet that not many have had the real thing. Now while my dish definitely isn't 100% authentic, it's pretty darn close. The flavours are mind-blowing. A crunchy, slightly spicy sauce coats the juicy, succulent chicken and the salad is cooling while the chilli dip brings a real heat for those who like it spicy.
Superb Spatchcock Satay Chicken with Chilli Dip and Peanut Cucumber Salad
Serves 6
For the chicken:
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 large free-range chicken (about 1.8kg/4lb)
250g dry roasted peanuts
2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
5cm/2in piece of ginger, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
400ml coconut milk
4 tbsp ketjap manis (sweet Indonesian soy sauce available from most large supermarkets)
2 tbsp dried chilli flakes
1 lime, zest only
For the chilli dip:
2 red peppers, chopped
4 red chillies, chopped
3 garlic cloves, grated
75g caster sugar
100ml white wine vinegar
1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tsp water
2 limes, juice only
large pinch of salt
1 tsp chilli flakes
For the cucumber salad:
2 bunches spring onions, cut into 2cm pieces
150g dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1-2 green chillies, thinly sliced
½ cucumber, sliced
2 tbsp clear honey
4 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 limes, juice only
To spatchcock the chicken, place the chicken breast-side down on a chopping board and using a good pair of scissors cut along each side of the backbone to remove it, cutting through the ribs as you go. Then turn it over and flatten the breast down with the heel of your hand. There will be a small crack which means the bird will then be nice and flat. Then put the bird, breast-side up in a roasting tin.
For the marinade, put the nuts, ginger, garlic and lemongrass in a food processor and blitz until they become coarse crumbs. Tip the mixture into a large bowl and add all the other ingredients. Pour the marinade over the chicken and put in the fridge to marinade for a minimum of half an hour, but ideally overnight.
Preheat the oven to 130C. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting halfway through the cooking time. When the timer goes, turn the oven up to 200C and cook the chicken for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes under foil.
Meanwhile, to make the chilli dip, place the red peppers, chillies, garlic, sugar and white wine vinegar into a food processor and blend to a rough purée. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for around three minutes then whisk in the cornflour mixture and cook until the sauce thickens. Finish with the lime juice, salt and chilli flakes. Set aside to cool.
For the salad, place the spring onions, peanuts, green chillies and cucumber into a bowl. Mix the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice together, pour over the salad and mix thoroughly. Serve with the chicken, chilli dip and some boiled rice.
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Most people have come across chicken in a satay sauce in their life but I'm willing to bet that not many have had the real thing. Now while my dish definitely isn't 100% authentic, it's pretty darn close. The flavours are mind-blowing. A crunchy, slightly spicy sauce coats the juicy, succulent chicken and the salad is cooling while the chilli dip brings a real heat for those who like it spicy.
Superb Spatchcock Satay Chicken with Chilli Dip and Peanut Cucumber Salad
Serves 6
For the chicken:
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground cumin 1 large free-range chicken (about 1.8kg/4lb)
250g dry roasted peanuts
2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
5cm/2in piece of ginger, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
400ml coconut milk
4 tbsp ketjap manis (sweet Indonesian soy sauce available from most large supermarkets)
2 tbsp dried chilli flakes
1 lime, zest only
For the chilli dip:
2 red peppers, chopped
4 red chillies, chopped
3 garlic cloves, grated
75g caster sugar
100ml white wine vinegar
1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tsp water
2 limes, juice only
large pinch of salt
1 tsp chilli flakes
For the cucumber salad:
2 bunches spring onions, cut into 2cm pieces
150g dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1-2 green chillies, thinly sliced
½ cucumber, sliced
2 tbsp clear honey
4 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 limes, juice only
To spatchcock the chicken, place the chicken breast-side down on a chopping board and using a good pair of scissors cut along each side of the backbone to remove it, cutting through the ribs as you go. Then turn it over and flatten the breast down with the heel of your hand. There will be a small crack which means the bird will then be nice and flat. Then put the bird, breast-side up in a roasting tin.
For the marinade, put the nuts, ginger, garlic and lemongrass in a food processor and blitz until they become coarse crumbs. Tip the mixture into a large bowl and add all the other ingredients. Pour the marinade over the chicken and put in the fridge to marinade for a minimum of half an hour, but ideally overnight.
Preheat the oven to 130C. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting halfway through the cooking time. When the timer goes, turn the oven up to 200C and cook the chicken for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes under foil.
Meanwhile, to make the chilli dip, place the red peppers, chillies, garlic, sugar and white wine vinegar into a food processor and blend to a rough purée. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for around three minutes then whisk in the cornflour mixture and cook until the sauce thickens. Finish with the lime juice, salt and chilli flakes. Set aside to cool.
For the salad, place the spring onions, peanuts, green chillies and cucumber into a bowl. Mix the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice together, pour over the salad and mix thoroughly. Serve with the chicken, chilli dip and some boiled rice.
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