Chicken with satay sauce

Since the peanuts have got such a bad rap and you cannot really handle them unless you want to risk having a bad reaction and someone being very sick you do not often see chicken satay on menus any more. Or at least I do not, and then I might be in the minority you never know.  Any way it is a shame so here is how I would make it.

You will need

450g/1lb skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes

1½tbsp groundnut oil

5tbsp light soy sauce

1tbsp rice wine or dry sherry

2tsp corn flour

3tbsp sesame paste or smooth peanut butter

1tbsp chilli bean sauce

1tbsp garlic puree

2tsp chilli oil

2tbsp Chinese white rice vinegar or cider vinegar

2tbsp light soy sauce

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2tsp sugar

2tbsp hot water

50g/2oz thinly sliced spring onions

100g/4oz thinly sliced cucumbers

First get a bow and add about 3tbsp of the light soy sauce, a 1tbsp rice wine or dry sherry and 2tsp corn flour then season with salt and pepper. Now get your chicken in to that and make sure everything gets a good coating then put it in the fridge for about half an hour.

Now in another bowl add the sesame paste or smooth peanut butter, chilli bean sauce, garlic puree, chilli oil, white rice or cider vinegar, the rest of the light soy sauce, sugar and the hot water. Use a hand blender and blend them together to make a paste then season with salt and pepper.

When you are ready to cook take your chicken out of the marinade. Now heat a wok over high heat until it is smoking hot then add the groundnut oil. When the oil is smoking slightly add the chicken and stir-fry for about 5 or 6 minutes until you have browned off the chicken. Now turn the heat right down and add the sauce and keep cooking until the chicken is fully cooked.

Now turn out on to a plate and serve with the spring onions and cucumber.