Satay Chicken at Ginger Thai in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
I tried a delicious Bangkok street food called satay chicken at Ginger Thai in Salinas, California and thought I could make a meal out of double order of this appetizer with a side of jasmine rice and a salad.
According to the cookbook True Thai by Victor Sodsook, skewers of flattened chicken breast get a full curry treatment to become these delicious appetizers with equally delicious dipping sauces.
The chicken is first marinated in coconut milk, brown sugar, nam pla fish sauce, coriander seed, and panang curry made with red chiles, coriander seed, shrimp paste, kaffir lime slices, cilantro, ginger, garlic, and shallots.
When satay chicken is ready to be cooked, it is threaded on skewers and then broiled or grilled.
The satay chicken comes with two piquant sauces for dipping:
-curried peanut satay sauce
-spicy cucumber relish
The curried peanut satay sauce is made with unsweetened coconut milk, peanut butter, brown sugar, nam pla fish sauce, and massaman curry made with chiles, cardamom, cumin, shrimp paste, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, lemongrass, ginger, shallots, and garlic.
That pretty spicy sauce is a counterpoint to the spicy and hot cucumber relish made with white vinegar, brown sugar, cucumber, Thai chiles, crushed peanuts, and cilantro.
All of the delicious curries that go into making satay chicken give it a lemon yellow glow and luxurious albeit easily gobbled taste.
I love having satay chicken and Ginger Thai Restaurant close to home in Salinas, California.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and creator of the games Sommelier, Camembert, Vienna, and Carnitas
