Cook’s notes
Are these chicken skewers Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai or Vietnamese? All of them, actually, so let’s call it a fusion dish. The inclusion of lemongrass and chili is Thai, kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) is Indonesian, fish sauce and palm sugar are used in all four cuisines.
Just how hot is the chicken after grilling? The heat is mild because I like scraping off and discarding the seeds of the chili.
A final note before the recipe: If you’re wondering if it’s okay to skip marinating and simply baste the chicken with the marinade during grilling, I say don’t. Cooking time is short and the chicken won’t have enough time to soak up the flavors of the seasonings and spices in the marinade.
Asian grilled chicken skewers
Equipment
- 12 bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling
Ingredients
- 500 to 600 grams chicken thigh fillets (1.1 to 1.3 pounds)
- 2 stalks lemongrass (light-colored bottom portion only)
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 1 finger chili
- 6 cloves garlic crushed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
- 2 pinches freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thigh fillets into 1 ½-inch cubes cubes and place in a bowl.
- Cut off the stem of the chili, slit lengthwise, scrape off the seeds and discard (skip if you want your chicken really hot), then chop.
- Bruise the lemongrass by pounding the stalks a few times with a pestle or the side of a cleaver. Chop.
- Place the chili, garlic, onion, lemongrass, palm sugar and liquid seasonings in a blender and process until pasty. Stir in the black pepper.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken, mix — with your hand preferably — working the marinade into the meat.
- Cover the bowl, place in the fridge and let the chicken marinate for st least four hours.
- Thread four to five pieces of chicken per skewer.
- Grill for about four minutes per side.
- Serve immediately.
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