Island Dreams satay skewers

For the perfect skewers, Alimah was taught by her mother to imagine she was sewing a running stitch when threading the skewer through the meat. On the Cocos Islands, they use the sharp spines of coconut palm fronds, but here, they use the more readily available bamboo skewers instead.

Alimah serves her satay with cubes of compressed rice, diced red onion, cucumber, and her special peanut sauce. Credit: Tammi Kwok

• serves

  8

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Stream free On Demand

Island Dreams Satay Skewers

episode • A Taste Of Island Dreams • 

cooking • 

4m

G

episode • A Taste Of Island Dreams • 

cooking • 

4m

G

Ingredients

• 500 g mix of boneless chicken breast and thigh sliced thinly into 2 x 6cm strips 
• 500 g boneless lamb leg, sliced thinly into 2 x 6cm strips 
• 8-10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 stalks lemongrass, white portions only, sliced thinly 
• 5 cm ginger, peeled and sliced 
• 1 onion 
• 3 tsp coriander seeds 
• 2 tsp cumin seeds  
• 2 tbsp ground turmeric 
• 2-3 tbsp sugar 
• Salt, to taste 
• Vegeta, to taste 
• Diced Spanish onion, to serve
• Diced cucumber, to serve
• Compressed rice (longtong), to serve

Marinading time: overnight

Instructions

1. Blend the garlic, lemongrass ginger and onion to a smooth paste in a blender, adding a splash of water to help things along if needed. Coarsely grind the coriander and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle and add to a large bowl with the garlic lemongrass mixture. Add the turmeric, sugar and season to taste with the salt and Vegeta. It should be slightly sweet, with an edge of savouriness from the salt and Vegeta. You might need to adjust with more sugar.
   
2. Divide the marinade between two large bowls. Add the lamb to one and chicken to the other and mix well to combine and coat the meat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
   
3. Thread the meat onto bamboo skewers and set aside.
   
4. Grill the satay over hot coals (you will have to do this in batches), rotating every 30-40 secs until browned, brushing the meat in peanut oil and use the green parts of the lemongrass as a brush to add aroma. Grill for a total of 4-5 minutes per skewer, or until it’s cooked to your liking (See Note).
   
5. Serve with diced onion, cucumber, compressed rice (longtong), and your favourite peanut satay sauce. Alimah wants you to make sure to make or source satay sauce that uses fresh peanuts for this! It makes all the difference.

Note

• The lamb satay will cook in less time than the chicken, as you don’t want it completely well done. Make sure to serve it fresh off the grill, to prevent it from drying out in the residual heat.

This recipe is from A Taste of Island Dreams with Alimah Bilda. Photography by Tammi Kwok.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Island Dreams Satay Skewers

episode • A Taste Of Island Dreams • 

cooking • 

4m

G

episode • A Taste Of Island Dreams • 

cooking • 

4m

G