Chicken Thigh Satay

• 2 lbs boned chicken thighs

Marinade

• 6 tbsp oil
• 1 or 2 stalks lemon grass
• 3 large, juicy cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne – more to taste
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp brown sugar or honey

Peanut Sauce

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup oil (canola, peanut, etc)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, pref. homemade
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 6 shallots
• 3 large, juicy cloves garlic
• 1 or 2 stalks lemon grass
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne
• peanuts or chunky peanut butter
• 5 bay leaves
• juice from a lemon

1. Prepare marinade in blender or food processor. Set aside. Bone chicken and cut into cubes around 1/2 inch on a side. Slide cubes onto soaked wooden or flat metal skewers. (Make the satehs the right length for your bbq or broiler.)
2. Load the satehs into a shallow bowl or baking dish. Slather with marinade. Let sit in fridge for 2-24 hours.
3. To make peanut sauce, peel and chop lemon grass, shallots and garlic. The lemon grass should be chopped very finely.
4. Heat oil in a skillet. When hot, saute the shallots, garlic, lemon grass, curry powder and pepper flakes or cayenne for 2 or 3 minutes, until light brown. (Use hood fan – intense fumes!)
5. Stir in the chicken stock, lemon juice, around 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and bay leaves. Simmer gently for a few minutes.
6. Now stir in coconut milk and about 2 tbsp ground peanuts or chunky peanut butter.
7. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until hot but not quite bubbling (coconut milk has a tendency to curdle if cooked too hot). TASTE IT. The peanut flavor should be in there, but subtle.
8. Adjust flavors to your satisfaction with hot pepper, fish sauce and/or peanut until it’s right on. Cook down gently to desired thickness (or thin with chicken broth or water), and take off heat. Reheat gently when about to serve the satehs.
9. Get your rice going, and start barbecuing or broiling the satehs. Stockpile them in a warm oven until all are done.
10. Serve satehs with rice, both drenched in peanut sauce. Pass more peanut sauce around the table, along with a heat source for those who want more fire, such as vinegar/fish sauce/lime juice/fresh hot pepper/honey.