Satay Chicken with Noodles
It's easy, it's quick (once you've done the marinading) and it's banging. Toss a teaspoon of MSG into the marinade if you have any.
Per portion
Calories from protein 22%, carbs 19%, fat 59%. Estimated from the ingredients.
Roughly £3.60 a portion, counting only what it uses from each jar. Buying the spices from scratch costs a fair bit more the first time.
Plus marinating: 2 to 6 hours.
Method
- 1
Mix the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, curry powder, peanut butter and oil in a non-metallic bowl. Cut the chicken into chunks of roughly the same size, stir them into the marinade, cover and chill for 2 to 6 hours. Overnight is fine, but you'll get diminishing returns.
- 2
Heat the grill to high. Lift out the chicken, wiping as much marinade as you can back into the bowl, and thread it onto skewers if you're feeling fancy. Grill for 10–15 minutes, turning as needed, until charred at the edges and 80–85°C in the thickest part. Thighs are safe at 75°C but taste better a bit hotter.
- 3
Meanwhile, scrape the leftover marinade into a small saucepan, stir in the coconut milk and bring it to a proper boil for a minute, then turn the heat down and let it reduce for about 5 minutes until it coats a spoon. Cook your noodles, if you're having them. A bigger batch takes longer to reduce: go by how it looks, not the clock.
- 4
Squeeze the lime into the sauce and check the seasoning. Serve the chicken on the noodles with the sauce spooned over, scattered with the spring onions and sesame seeds.
Cook's notes
- Sizes. Vegetables, fruit and eggs are medium unless the recipe says otherwise. A tin is a standard 400g tin.
- Dairy. Salted or unsalted butter both work; with salted, go easy on any extra salt. Use full-fat soured cream, crème fraîche and yoghurt in anything hot, as low-fat versions split.
- Stock. A cube or pot made up as the packet says. Cubes are salty, so taste before adding more salt.
- Heat. Medium means a gentle sizzle, not spitting. High means the oil shimmers before the food goes in. A simmer is a few lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. Leave the lid off unless the recipe says to cover.
- Pans. A small saucepan is about 16cm and a frying pan about 24cm. Sauces reduce faster in a wider pan, so go by how it looks rather than the clock.
- Doneness. Chicken and turkey should reach 75°C in the thickest part, pork 65 to 70°C, and beef steak 55°C for medium-rare. Rest steaks and chops for a few minutes before slicing.
- Finishing. Taste before serving. Most dishes want a pinch more salt, and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar lifts anything rich.
- Leftovers. Cool quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat until piping hot. Cooked rice keeps for 1 day and should only be reheated once.
solosupper.co.uk/recipes/satay-chicken-with-noodles/
