Here’s a recipe I shared to a friend who fell in love with the local satays when she visited Brunei last year.

Two weeks ago, she finally managed to perfect the recipe and served it during a dinner at the ‘D Orfanage.’ It was so perfect that it tasted better than what I would normally have in Brunei. The secret? The marinade and the peanut sauce — the ingredients of which she apparently tweaked!

CHICKEN SATAY

Ingredients:

½ tsp ground Fennel seeds
½ tsp ground Coriander seeds
6 Shallots or 1 Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic
1 stalk Lemon grass, white part only, finely chopped
1 tsp Turmeric
2.5 cm [ 1 inch ] Fresh Ginger, peeled
2 tsp Sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 boned Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced into 2.5 cm [ 1 inch ] squares
12 bamboo skewers

Method:

Grind or blend together spices, shallots, garlic, lemon grass, turmeric and ginger to a paste. Add sugar and salt, and mix well.

Add blended spices to meat and mix thoroughly. Leave to marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Heat grill, and thread a few pieces on each skewer. Brush with oil and grill on both sides.

Serve with satay sauce and cucumber slices.

SATAY SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 Onion or 6 Shallots, grated
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
2 stalks Lemon Grass, white part only, flattened
2 dried Red Chilies, soaked, drained and chopped
4 tbsp Peanut Oil
1 tsp ground Coriander
1 tsp ground Turmeric
1 ½ cups Coconut Milk
1 ½ tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
½ cup Peanuts, finely chopped
2 tbsp Tamarind Water [ To make tamarind water, soak 1 tbsp of ripe tamarind in 5 tbsp hot water for 5 minutes. Discard seeds, squeeze and strain for the water. ]

Method:

Pound or blend onion, garlic, lemon grass and chilies until paste forms.

Heat oil and cook paste for a few minutes until fragrant. Add coriander and turmeric and stir. Add coconut milk and bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously.

Add tamarind water, sugar, salt and peanuts and simmer until thick or desired consistency is achieved.