Balinese Skewered Chicken with Peanut Chutney Recipe
Balinese Skewered Chicken with Peanut Chutney Recipe
I have been to Bali a couple of times and always enjoyed it as it is my idea of a holiday – great people, interesting culture and excellent food. This is my version of Balinese-style skewered chicken- a spice paste is ground and fried and used to flavour skewered free range chicken thighs which are barbecued or grilled and these are served with a quick chutney of roasted peanuts. I love the punchy taste of these chicken skewers.
200g shallots, peeled and chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red chilli, sliced
5cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 tablespoons grapeseed oil
4 bulbs lemongrass, lower 5cm of the white part only, sliced
Large pinch chilli flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon crushed palm sugar
900g skinned boned free range chicken thighs cut into 3cm pieces
12 bamboo skewers
Put the shallots, garlic, red chilli, ginger, turmeric, oil, lemongrass, chilli flakes, salt and sugar into a food processor and process until smooth. This is the spice paste
Heat a wok over moderate heat and fry the spice paste for 10 minutes until fragrant and slightly darkened in colour. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Thread the chicken onto the 12 skewers and rub the spice paste all over them.
Grill or barbecue the chicken skewers over moderate heat until well cooked. About 5-8 minutes on each side
Remove from the heat and serve with the following peanut chutney.
Peanut Chutney
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 red chilli, sliced
2 tablespoons palm sugar
¾ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed or chopped coarsely
1 kaffir lime leaf, central rib discarded, leaf very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
Small handful each basil and mint leaves.
Put the garlic, salt, red chilli and sugar into a small food processor and process until smooth.
Stir in the peanuts, kaffir lime leaf, basil and mint. Mix well.
Serves 4.
