Today’s Smashed Cucumber Salad with Chicken Satay and Red Curry Peanut Sauce will be my first recipe of 2019 and I’m thrilled. Believe it or not, salad paired with a simple protein is what I eat 90% of the time. It’s the type of meal that fills me up but leaves me feeling light. The antidote to weeks of gravy, stuffing and all manner of chocolate. This is not a resolution-oriented recipe per se, because, let’s face it, that red curry peanut sauce is not devoid of calories. No, this Smashed Cucumber Salad is what I would call enlivening. It’s spicy, crunchy, refreshing and full of umami. It’s a different kind of comfort food for a different kind of comfort. And, if like me, you had a bit too much cheer this holiday season, this salad is exactly what your body is asking for.
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Here we are at the doorstep of another year, and as we begin to cross its threshold, we cradle our hopes for the year. Some of us may be upfront about it, declaring our resolutions with jaws set in resolve. Others may deny their existence, claiming resolutions are unnecessary as there is nothing inherently wrong with the person they are or were. And then there is yet another group of people who simply think of the New Year as a Tuesday, b
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that there are a lot of food blogs out there with very talented bloggers attached to them. We are a lucky profession in that our community is very supportive. But in spite of that, it is very easy to fall prey to comparison-itis. It has happened to me more times than I care to admit. And the worst part about it is it is paralyzing. I would take it on the chin if it spurred me to greater heights, lit a creative fire under my ass, or challenged me in some profound and enriching way. But it doesn’t. It makes me want to hide, quit, or scold myself for even attempting.
I’m sure I’m not alone in this. We all want to do well and, especially in the era of social media, we find it hard when it seems like everyone around us is doing better. Now, before you express concern for me, please know I don’t feel this way all the time. I just want to get to a place where comparison doesn’t make me stop. I want to feel it, acknowledge what it is, and dust it off. And I plan on doing that by focusing on the good that I create and the pursuit of my own form of mastery.
This Smashed Cucumber Salad fits into this new mindset because it is what I wanted to make for myself and for the wonderful people who read this blog. It’s not technically difficult, it’s not a beautiful layer cake, and it doesn’t adhere to Veganuary. It may not spark a lot of interest outside my corner of the Internet. But it is something I really love to eat and shoot, so I’m going to focus on that and not on its potential metrics. This year I’m going to put the things I want to put on the plate because I think they’re beautiful and delicious. So, with the personal affirmations aside, let’s talk about this Smashed Cucumber Salad.
While I was running around St. Lawerence Market like a mad woman on December 23rd (!!), admittedly not one of my best ideas, I happened across a bottle of kecap manis. I’d read about the sweet soy sauce a few months back and knew it was a key ingredient in numerous Indonesian recipes, including chicken satay. Now, I’ve made a lot of chicken satay in my life but I’ve never gotten it quite right. So, I snatched up the bottle hoping it would prove to be the answer to all my chicken satay prayers.
After the craziness of the holidays subsided, I set to work on my chicken satay experiment. I did up one batch with the kecap
With the Chicken Satay a screaming success, I decided to build a recipe around it. I revised my peanut sauce in order to make room for the kecap manis and added a spoonful of red curry paste for kicks. Most people think Chicken Satay is Thai and I suppose it is. Thailand does consume its fair share of the stuff. But satay is actually from the Indonesian island of Java where it is considered the national dish. I added the Thai red curry paste as a nod to my first
And speaking of crunchy vegetables, let’s talk about them. What would a Smashed Cucumber Salad be without smashed cucumbers? Now, a reasonable person might ask, why smash them? Well, besides being an excellent anger management tool, bruising your cucumbers make them more receptive to your dressing. Do I have scientific evidence of this? No, I lived it, trust me. Alongside the cucumbers, this salad has julienned kohlrabi, shaved carrots, and fresh shallots. There is so much to love about this salad.
So, that’s everything you need to know about this Smashed Cucumber Salad with Chicken Satay and Red Curry Peanut Sauce. Remember, the heat levels are totally adjustable, so know your limit and play within it. And if you’re vegetarian, swap the chicken for tofu cubes and stir fry the suckers. It’s dang tasty! And, finally, the recipe below makes a ton of peanut sauce, so have some spare noodles handy.
Enjoy!
FollowSmashed Cucumber Salad with Chicken Satay and Red Curry Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Satay
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 lime juiced
- 3 red chilies thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp kecap manis *
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 8 bamboo skewers soaked overnight
Red Curry Peanut Sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp red curry paste
- 1/4 cup kecap manis *
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek
- 1 tsp palm sugar **
- 1/2 cup natural crunchy peanut butter
- 160 (5.5 fl oz) ml full fat coconut milk
- 1 red chili thinly sliced
Smashed Cucumber Salad
- 1 cucumber
- 2 kohlrabi bulbs julienne
- 3 carrots thinly sliced
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek
- 1 tsp palm sugar **
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
For the Chicken Satay:
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs. Slice each thigh into four equally-sized strips. Place the chicken in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Pour the mixture over the chicken and toss to coat. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge. Let marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook, thread the chicken pieces onto the bamboo skewers in an according-like fashion. You should have four pieces of chicken per skewer.
- Heat a charcoal grill or a cast iron griddle pan until smoking. Place the chicken skewers on the grill and cook until the chicken readily lifts from the grill, about 3 minutes. Rotate the skewers and cook for another minute or two. Repeat until all four sides of each skewer have been kissed by the grill. The chicken should be firm and the juices should run clear.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm until ready to serve.
Red Curry Peanut Sauce
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot and ginger. Add a sprinkle of salt and saute until the shallot is just translucent.
- Add the red curry paste to the skillet and saute until it melts and becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the kecap manis, soy sauce, sambal oelek, and palm sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately stir in the peanut butter. Stir until well-integrated. Pour in the coconut milk and, again, stir until well-integrated. Stir in the chili and set the sauce aside to cool completely.
- Once cool, transfer the sauce to a bowl and cover. Transfer the sauce to the fridge until ready to serve. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Smashed Cucumber Salad
- Take the cucumber and tap on it with the flat side of a meat mallet. Hit hard enough to force the cucumber to separate into four segments. Chop the smashed cucumber into bite-sized pieces. Transfer the cucumber to a large bowl. Add the kohlrabi, carrots, and shallot to the large bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Pour the mixture over top of the vegetables and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to the fridge and let sit for an hour.
To Assemble
- Divide the salad amongst four bowls. Place two chicken skewers over top of each salad and serve immediately. Serve with a bowl of Red Curry Peanut Butter Sauce for dipping and a round of cold beers.
