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Smashed Cucumber Salad with Chicken Satay and Red Curry Peanut Sauce

Servings 4 people

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.

Notes

* If you can't find kecap manis, you can't create a close approximation by simmering one part molasses with two parts soy sauce until thickened.
** If you can't find palm sugar, substitute it with brown sugar or demerara sugar.