Most folks, like me, get satay for the sauce. The satay, usually chicken, shows up dry and tough, but slathered with this delicious sauce, everything becomes delicious. Well here is an outstanding recipe that you can make at home, it is really quite simple. Although satay sauce is used traditionally with grilled satay meats, chicken, beef or lamb, it is also delicious with crunchy vegetables as a dip and with noodles as a sauce. With this sauce, it is pretty fantastic with anything that you can think of. This sauce is spicy, creamy, tangy and delicious, everything comes together perfectly.
This is a book I use for all kinds of sauces and salsas. This book has a wealth of recipes from around the globe. This is a very specialized cookbook, but filled with amazing recipes. This satay sauce, which I absolutely love, is an example of how wonderful the recipes are.
For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 green chilies, finely minced
1-inch tender stem lemongrass, finely minced
1 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 lime, or to taste
Salt and white pepper to taste
To make the peanut satay sauce, heat the oil in a small pot and gently sauté the garlic, chilies, and lemongrass for 45 seconds till cooked but not browned. Add the red chili powder and stir. Take off the heat and add the peanut butter and coconut milk. Mix well. Put back on a low flame and cook the mix till the oils are extruded out of the paste and the peanut sauce turns a beautiful light brown, about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and mix in the cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Note: Due to the peanut butter and coconut milk, this sauce is quite rich. After I finish cooking it, I make a small depression in the center of the paste, and allow the oil to pool in this hole. I drain off gently with a spoon. You can also dab dry towards the end with paper towels, but I tend to leave a touch of the delicious oil so the sauce does not dry out over time.