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.
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!
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
Even Cookie and Creamy wanted a taste! NOOO! Step away from the food…
Have you ever had to improvise at the very last minute?
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Keep eating,
Adrian
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hahaa… I love your cat and dog… and of course the satay! The last photo is hilarious!
hehe, they’re always trying to get at my food! But they’re also too cute so they get away with it.
hahaha u shoulda given them some =P
Once you give in, they’ll own you 🙂
They look so cute! I like your easy satay too, yum!
Satay rocks!
Yum! I love the satay in the boat 🙂
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
i love any recipe that uses peanut butter, lol!
Too true!
first time here + having fun reading through your posts! love your presentation and the peanut sauce. yumMmmM
thanks for visiting! My friends loved it so I guess it was good! Plus the pets kept going at it…
Looks good and great improv!!
Thanks, hope you’re enjoying Phils
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
Gotta do with what you have I guess! Love your site
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.
That’s very true, I could have ended up with boring skewers!
Lol @ Cookie and Creamy! These look awesome and I love the boats! Totally can relate to the “got to have it! Dont know why, dont care”
Cookie and Creamy are always hungry!
Hahahha.. love cookie and creamy trying to get some! hahahaha
They’re so cheeky sometimes.
Wait, what? Do you mean you’re a smooth-not-crunchy peanut butter person?!
Oh no! We can no longer be friends!
🙁
*cries*
LOL! I am a smooth peanut butter fan…but we both love chocolate so we’ll still have that in common!
Fantastic recipe! This flavour combination sounds just perfect!
Thanks Maria, gotta love a good satay
Haha I’m with the cat. I’d be curious to know what that delicious smell was! I’m surprised that they didn’t devour it. My cats would have gone for it in the blink of an eyelid 😛
hehe, yes, I caught them just in time! So sneaky…
Ahhh who needs skewers when you have boats! I love chicken satay any way it comes 🙂
Totally! Agreed.
Yummy!!!
Your cute little boats look absolutely delicious! No wonder Cookie wanted a closer look. Love your site 🙂
Thanks! Cookie would eat anything 🙂
Great combination of al the wonderful flavors. What a brilliant idea to serve in bamboo boats. Makes the dish very special.
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…
Yes, Creamy is a British Blue with the fat face. I love Russian Blues as well.
you did an awesome job and love the bamboo boats and the pic of the cat looking at them he he enjoy the weekend
Rebecca
Thanks! My cat is the greatest food spy
LOL I’m not sure I want to picture you shaking your “bee-hind” but I do like those bamboo boats! I’m an absolute sucker for small plates and other serving things =p
When I cook, it’s all about shaking my beehind! LOL
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)!
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)
I found this dish looks very delicious