Satay Chicken Salad — With Love, Kate

So I have realised that most of my recipes are largely attended by cupfuls of sugar, lashings of butter and plenty of carbohydrate goodness. And I make no apologies about that (however, my waistline would like me to). That said, I thought it was about time to share a more….balanced recipe. Introducing: Satay Chicken Salad.

Now, don’t panic just yet. I’ve never been one to love just a salad for a meal. If I am to last a mealtime with a collection of green leaves and artfully sliced vegetables, there needs to at least one of the following involved: a considerable amount (read: loaf) of bread, wedges of gooey soft cheese or portions of protein to jazz it all up. With oven-baked chicken covered in a peanut butter sauce, this salad has famously been known to keep me full on its own at dinnertime.

I have made this several times for friends who have stayed, and have often passed on a scribbled paper version of the recipe. This salad is probably my all-time favourite to make at the moment. The recipe does not need to be followed strictly, and mine definitely changes slightly each time.

Takes about 30 minutes. Serves 2-3, depending on appetites...

INGREDIENTS

For the salad

400g chicken thighs, or diced chicken breast
½ cucumber
1 carrot
1 red pepper
½ red onion
3 spring onions
½ bag rocket salad leaves

For the sauce

1 tsp fresh chilli
juice of 1 lime
2 generous spoons of crunchy peanut butter
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tbsp mild soy sauce
1 tbsp fish oil
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
freshly grated ginger, to taste

To thin

1 tbsp sesame oil
juice of ½ lime
1 tbsp sweet chilli

METHOD

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.

2. Assemble the sauce. Finely slice the fresh chilli, juice the lime and add into a medium-sized bowl along with the peanut butter, chopped garlic, soy, fish and sweet chilli sauce and freshly grated ginger.

3. In an oven dish, pour in sesame oil and lay the chicken out. Smother chicken in half of the sauce, and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes depending on your chicken portion. I tend to take the dish out halfway through to stir so the sauce spreads nicely.

4. In the meantime, set aside a large salad bowl. Grate and add the cucumber, grate and peel the carrot, finely slice the pepper, red and spring onions and mix it altogether with the rocket leaves.

5. I tend to thin out the remaining sauce. I do this by adding 1 tbsp of sesame oil, some more lime juice and another tbsp of sweet chilli. Once the chicken is cooked, add the juices from the bottom of the oven tray as well.

6. Wait for the chicken to cool a bit, then add to the salad and add the rest of the sauce. Give it all a good toss, and serve.