This easy, weeknight-friendly chicken dinner is a bit of a cultural mash-up. Deliciously so.
I started by bathing hard-to-overcook chicken thighs in a robust satay-style sauce. The sauce delivers a sweet-tangy-savory-spicy blend of flavors thanks to ample amounts of brown sugar, cider vinegar, fish sauce and garlic chili paste. And tying it all together? Finely ground peanuts, which lend both a richness and a hearty texture to the sauce.
As a balance to all those big flavors, the cooked chicken gets dressed with diced tomatoes and avocado, a cooling and fresh contrast to the warm chicken. Finally, a hearty sprinkle of malt vinegar (the usual condiment for fish and chips). It has a tangy sweetness that pulls everything together.
As is, this is a great meal. But you could take it even further and serve the whole thing in a pita wrap. Or continue the cultural amalgamation by chopping the chicken and piling everything over nachos.
SPICY PEANUT CHICKEN SATAY
Start to finish: 25 minutes
Makes 6 servings
1 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup garlic-chili paste
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each cut into 3 strips
6 medium plum tomatoes, diced
3 avocados, pitted and diced
Kosher salt
Malt vinegar, to serve
Nutrition information per serving: 530 calories; 280 calories from fat (53 percent of total calories); 31 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 75 mg cholesterol; 41 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 23 g sugar; 29 g protein; 1630 mg sodium.
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