coconut red curry chicken skewers
served with cucumber salad and a tangy lime sauce
Coconut red curry chicken skewers with cucumber salad and a tangy lime sauce
Serve: 6 skewers
Ingredients
Base
6 chicken thighs (deboned and skinned)
200ml coconut milk
40g red curry paste
10g anchovies
10g onion powder
10g garlic powder
10g curry powder
10g brown sugar
2g coriander seeds
2g cumin seeds
2g black peppercorns
20g vegetable oil + some for cooking the meat
sea salt
Salad
1 cucumber (230g)
100g grape tomatoes
1 bird’s eye chilli
1/2 shallot
1 garlic clove
1 lime
1 lemongrass
4 kaffir lime leaves
5g fish sauce
20g peeled peanuts
a bunch of fresh coriander leaves & fresh mint
Sauce
3 bird’s eye chillis (7g)
40g coriander roots
1 garlic clove (5g)
5 limes (165g)
30g fish sauce
30g brown sugar
For serving
lettuce leaves
bird’s eye chillis
fresh coriander & mint
Extra note
This recipe is split over two days. On the first day, you’ll prepare the marinade, marinate the chicken and roast peanuts. The second day, it’s all about putting together the salad (which should be mixed just before serving to avoid sogginess), making the sauce, and finally grilling the chicken
Use fresh limes instead of the bottled version for the best flavour
If you're not a fan of spicy food, you can swap out the bird’s eye chilli for a milder variety
You can substitute the kaffir lime leaves for grated lime zest if that’s easier
The recipe calls for 6 metal or bamboo skewers
Since you're working with raw chicken, it’s crucial to thoroughly wash your hands, chopping board, and utensils with hot soapy water afterwards. I also recommend using a separate chopping board for raw meat to keep everything extra safe and hygienic
Method
FIRST DAY
Prepare the ingredients for marinating the chicken
Mash the anchovy fillets on a chopping board using a fork until they become paste-like.
In a mortar, grind the coriander, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns until coarsely ground.
Next, in a bowl, mix 200ml of coconut milk with the red curry paste until everything is well combined. If you notice a solid white layer on top in the can and more watery liquid at the bottom, don’t worry - that’s just the fat and liquid separating. Before measuring out the 200ml, give the can a shake or stir it with a spoon to recombine, then measure the correct amount.
Cut the chicken thighs into evenly bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl.
Marinate the chicken
Add red curry coconut paste to the chicken, followed by the anchovy paste, brown sugar, garlic, onion and curry spice powder. Stir in the crushed coriander, cumin and black peppercorns.
Pour in vegetable oil and season with salt - just keep in mind that the amount of salt will depend on how salty the red curry paste is.
Mix everything together with your hands.
Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate in the fridge overnight.
Toast the peanuts
Put a large pan on the stove and set the heat to medium.
Spread the peeled peanuts in a single layer across the pan, letting them toast until golden brown, as shown in the picture below. Shake the pan every couple of seconds to prevent the peanuts from burning. Be sure to watch them closely, as they can turn black very quickly.
Once they’re toasted, add a pinch of sea salt and give them a good mix.
NEXT DAY
Finish the chicken
Take the marinated chicken out of the fridge and thread the meat onto the skewers (I used about 8/9 cuts per skewer).
Make the sauce
Juice 5 limes. I always squeeze limes by hand, but if you prefer a squeezer tool, feel free. If you don’t have a squeezer, slice the lime lengthwise around the core. Turn the lime and cut the opposite side. Next, slice the other two smaller sides. You should end up with a core and four lime pieces to squeeze. Squeeze each piece with your hands.
Once the limes are juiced, place all the ingredients (chillis, coriander roots, garlic clove, fish sauce and brown sugar) into a jug and blend them with a hand blender.
For a milder sauce, you can use a less spicy variety of chili or remove the pith and seeds before adding them in.
Prepare ingredients for the salad
Juice one lime into a small bowl.
Grate a small garlic clove over the lime juice, then add the fish sauce, and mix well.
Next, take a cucumber and cut it in half. Use the tip of a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds, as shown below - this step helps keep the salad from becoming too watery and soggy.
Slice the cucumber into 2mm slices. Cut grape tomatoes in half, and thinly slice half a shallot.
Now, onto the Thai herbs: lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.
For the lemongrass, peel away the tough outer layers with your hands until you reach the white and fragrant part. Cut off the bottom (about 0,5 cm) and the top parts (around 7 cm). Thinly slice the lemongrass, then finely chop it with a sharp knife.
For the kaffir lime leaves, pinch the tough center vein and tear it out, repeating this with the remaining three leaves. Stack the two halves, roll them into a cylinder, and thinly slice them. Repeat with the other halves. Then, chop the slices as shown below.
Finally, thinly slice the bird’s eye chili, and pick fresh coriander and mint leaves to finish off the prep.
Serve
Just before serving the whole meal, add all salad components: cucumber, tomatoes, shallot, peanuts, chillis, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, coriander and mint into a bowl.
Season with a pinch of salt, then pour in the lime, garlic, and fish sauce dressing and toss everything together.
Heat a large pan over medium heat and add a thin layer of vegetable oil. Once the oil is warm, add the chicken skewers. Let the first side brown well (about 7 minutes), then flip the skewers and cook until nicely charred. Rotate the skewers again to ensure both sides are evenly browned and grill the chicken thoroughly. The total cooking time is about 25 minutes.
To check for doneness, remove a piece from the skewer and cut it in half. If you want to be extra cautious, you can use a food thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest piece, and according to Food Standards Scotland, the internal temperature should reach 75°C. Remember, even after removing the chicken from the pan, residual heat will continue to cook the meat.
Serve the chicken skewers with the cucumber salad, tandy lime sauce, and fresh salad leaves and herbs for a vibrant dish.
