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Recipe Time: Satay Chicken Boats with Coriander Sails

By Adrian / June 12, 2011

Inspired by Adam Liaw’s demonstration at the Malaysian Kitchen stand last week, I was in the mood to cook up something to the tune of that nature.  Although, in a rush to get prepared for a friend’s house warming, I forgot to buy some skewers to make the damn chicken satay. Doh! I was running low on time, so I searched my kitchen high and low and found my perfect improvisation.  I recently came across some totally kitsch bamboo boats at South Melbourne that I bought out of spurt, not knowing what the heck I was going to use it for. I just had to have it- I’m sure you can relate? So rather than satay skewers I made Satay Boats. Done.

One issue: to ensure that the twenty  boats keep in their mint condition, I had to cook up all the ingredients and actually prepare them at my friend’s house. Knowing that it was a house warming, I wasn’t to thrilled about the prospect of hogging up their kitchen amongst all the mayhem.  When it comes to attending parties/potlucks, my preference is rock up, reheat and serve.

satay boats close up 2

Zee Ingredients

Marinade

550 grams of cubed chicken breast or skinless thigh

1 tablespoon of sugar

2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter (my preference)

1/2 cup of soy sauce. Add 1 teaspoon of sweet soy sauce if you have this on hand

1 freshly squeezed lime

2 crushed garlic gloves

1 teaspoon of grated ginger

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

1 tablespoon of chili flakes

TIP: Save at least a few tablespoons of the marinade for the peanut sauce

To Garnish

Fresh coriander

1 lime for presentation cut into quarter wedges

Peanut Sauce

3/4 cup of coconut milk

The remaining marinade

3 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 tablespoon of chili flakes

Bamboo Boats – I bought these from South Melbourne Market

Prep work

It’s best to marinade the chicken at least 3 hours beforehand. I get my poultry from the local market where they cube the chicken breast for me quite nicely saving me from doing it myself.

Chuck the cubed chicken pieces into a large bowl and simply combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet soy, sugar, chili flakes, fish sauce, crushed garlic and lime. Use your hands to lightly shovel ensuring each piece is coated. Don’t forget to set aside a few tablespoons of the marinade for the peanut sauce homeboy.

Cooking Zee Chicken

After Ms Lady Breast has had time to marinade, in a non stick grill pan, cook these babies on medium heat. Using a brush, try to keep the flavours going by pasting in the remaining marinade. It should be brown with nice almost burnt bits. The best thing about not using skewers is that I get to cook the chicken as evenly as possible – something that isn’t as easily achievable using skewers.

When cooked, set aside in a bowl whilst you set out the bamboo boats. Each boat should fit 3 pieces.

Cooking Zee Peanut Sauce

To make the sauce, combine all above ingredients into a big arse bowl and start whisking brutha. At this stage of the process, I started to shake my bee-hind to what seems to be the song of the month: Jessie J’s Price Tag. It ain’t about the..uh!..cha ching cha ching…LOL!

Once your friend’s have banned you from dancing ever again and the ingredients have formed smooth texture, pour all contents into a small saucepan on low-medium heat. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Keep tasting as you go as you may want to add more spice or like me, more sugar. The colour didn’t turn out quite how I liked it, but Cookie was distracting me with his cuteness and I ended up playing with him!

satay sauce

All about the presentation

Add a healthy dose of peanut sauce over the chicken pieces but try not to drown them. Cut up the lime into small wedges and place these at the rear of each boat. Top it all off with some fresh coriander.

The design:

The Boat- bamboo boats

The Sails: coriander

The engine: Lime wedge

You- the chicken! 🙂

You’ve been served!

I don’t regret forgetting about the skewers at all. These Satay Boats were a rockin hit at the party and definitely sailed away into many hungry mouths. Update: my recipe has been featured in the HomeAway.co.uk Cookbook. Check it out HERE

satay boats close up

Even Cookie and Creamy wanted a taste! NOOO! Step away from the food…

cookie and creamy eating

Have you ever had to improvise at the very last minute?

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Keep eating,

Adrian

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42 thoughts on “Recipe Time: Satay Chicken Boats with Coriander Sails”

    1. hehe, they’re always trying to get at my food! But they’re also too cute so they get away with it.

      Reply

    1. Thankfully, there’s always an alternative. IF I didn’t have boats, I would’ve just chucked them in a bowl and made a salad of some sort. LOL

      Reply

  8. I love your presentation… satay boats? wow it’s so apt… that’s why I believe that sometimes when things go as planned, is a source of an inspiration.. and you have the gift of improvisation!
    Thanks for dropping by my site… see you around the interwebs!
    Malou

    Reply

  9. Given time, every thing has a purpose (as in these boats’ case). lol The chicken and the peanut butter sauce looks delicious. I could definitely try my hand at this recipe. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    1. LOL! I am a smooth peanut butter fan…but we both love chocolate so we’ll still have that in common!

      Reply

  18. Those ‘boats’ sound delicious!
    And one of my (two) cats looks a lot like yours – he’s the same color, but I think yours looks like British Blue, mine looks more like a Russian Blue…

    Reply

  21. Oh improvising. Yep……things get covered with cream, topped with veggies….but your quick thinking looks wonderful. But then I love peanutty sauces, and chicken and cilantro (sails)!

    Reply

  22. I get so stressed when i have to improvise! but yours worked out amazing, i love those boats. its funny as i tried a dish in a bamboo boat at the MK at sydney gfws! (i din’t really like it, yours looks way better)

    Reply

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