The ‘Sataysfied’ Chicken

Serves 4

A top seller, this isn’t exactly how we present it in our restaurants because I thought I’d share a version more suitable to prepare at home.

Ingredients

4 skin-on chicken breasts

3 tbsp olive oil

4cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 tbsp Madras curry powder

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

400ml can full-fat coconut milk

4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp soy sauce

Juice of 1 lime

Salt

1 sweet pickled cucumber & shallot salad (see panel)

A few handfuls of peanut sesame brittle (see panel), to serve

For the coriander & spring onion brown rice:

200g brown basmati rice 400ml water

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

4 spring onions, roughly chopped

Method

1. Start by preparing the rice. Wash the rice until the water runs clear, then drain. Add to a medium pan with a lid along with the measured water and a small pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan with the lid, immediately turn the heat down to its lowest setting and cook for 40 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated. Turn the heat off and fluff the rice up with a fork. Place the lid back on and leave to steam for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, season the chicken breasts with salt and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and, once hot, add the chicken breasts to the pan, skin-side down, along with another tablespoon of olive oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 4 minutes until cooked through (the timing may differ depending on the size of your chicken breasts). Remove the chicken from the pan on to a plate to rest.

3. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the chicken juices in the pan along with the ginger, garlic, curry powder, turmeric and chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat until softened and fragrant. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Then add the peanut butter and stir until the sauce thickens slightly. Turn off the heat and season with the soy sauce. Squeeze in the lime juice and pour in the resting juices that have collected on the bottom of the plate of chicken.

4. Once the rice has cooled a little, toss in the coriander and spring onions and season with more salt if needed.

5. Prepare individual plates or assemble a family-style platter by pouring the satay sauce on to a warmed serving dish, carve the chicken breasts and place on top of the sauce, and scatter over the sweet pickled cucumber and shallot and peanut sesame brittle. Serve with the coriander and spring onion rice on the side.