Recipe: Big Bowl restaurant Indonesian Chicken Satays with Peanut Sauce

BIG BOWL RESTAURANT INDONESIAN CHICKEN SATAYS WITH PEANUT SAUCE

2 pounds boneless chicken breast
Thirty-two 12-inch bamboo skewers

MARINADE:
4 teaspoons coriander seeds
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
3/4 cup tamarind paste
1/4 cup peanut oil

DIPPING SAUCE:
1/2 cup fine peanut oil
1/2 cup raw peanuts
2 fresh serrano or fresno chilies
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup rich unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Cut approximately 1-ounce slices of meat in flat pieces (approximately 3 3/4 inches long) and thread onto a skewer (you will have about 32 satays).

In a small skillet, toast the spices until fragrant, then grind to a coarse powder in a spice grinder. Mix the spices with the garlic, brown sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste and peanut oil. Arrange the skewers in a shallow pan or dish and pour the marinade over the meat, turning from time to time, for thirty minutes to an hour.

To make the dipping sauce, heat the peanut oil in a small pot until nearly smoking, turn off the heat and immediately add the peanuts. They should cook to a light golden color in three to five minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a food processor or blender, along with a tablespoon of the cooking oil, reserving the rest. Grind to a rough paste, then add the chilies, ginger and garlic, and continue to blend. Add the remaining ingredients, except the cilantro, and blend until smooth. Remove to a small mixing bowl and stir in the cilantro leaves along with half of the reserved oil or more. Transfer to appropriate dipping sauces.

Grill the satays about a minute on each side-do not overcook---and serve with the dipping sauce

NOTE: To make the tamarind paste, in a small pot cook half an 8-ounce package of tamarind pulp with one cup of water until it softens. Pour the mixture into a strainer and rub te pulp through as best you can, leaving behind the seeds and the strings of the pod. The result will be a brown paste, 3/4 of a cup of which you will need for the marinade.

Source: Big Bowl Chinese restaurant, requested recipes on their website.