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Chicken remix

As delicious as they are easy, these recipes by Australia’s hottest new cook Nagi Maehashi bring a clever twist to our favourite dinner staple

THAI CHICKEN SATAY SKEWERS

For me, peanut sauce makes or breaks a satay skewer. The secret to a great sauce? A touch of Thai red curry paste for extra savoury oomph.

5-6 AS A STARTER 20 MINUTES + 20 MINUTES (OR 24 HOURS) MARINATING

15 MINUTES

★ 600g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2cm pieces

★ 400ml full-fat coconut milk

★ 13-16 bamboo skewers, 16cm long

★ 3 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil

MARINADE

★ 1 tbsp curry powder

★ 1 tsp caster sugar

★ 2 tsp red curry paste

★ 1 tsp salt

THAI PEANUT SAUCE

★ 2 tbsp red curry paste

★ 180g natural unsweetened peanut butter

★ 50g white sugar

★ 2 tsp dark soy sauce

★ 1 tsp salt

★ 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

★ 185ml water

TO SERVE

★ 2 tbsp finely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

★ coriander leaves and sliced red chilli (optional)

★ lime wedges (optional)

★ Marinate the chicken ‒ mix the chicken with the marinade ingredients and 60ml of the coconut milk in a bowl. Marinate overnight in the fridge (or for a minimum of 20 minutes).

★ Peanut sauce – place the remaining coconut milk and all the peanut sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to combine, then simmer, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes. Adjust the consistency with water – it should be a pourable but thickish sauce. Cover and keep warm while cooking the skewers.

★ Thread the chicken on to the skewers – I use

4-5 pieces per skewer.

★ Cook the skewers – heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook 5-7 skewers at a time for 3 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm while you cook the rest of the skewers in the remaining oil.

★ Serve – pour the peanut sauce into a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of the chopped peanuts. Pile the skewers on to a platter, sprinkle with the remaining peanuts and garnish with coriander, chilli and lime wedges (if using). To eat, dunk the skewers into the sauce and enjoy! Complete your meal with a side of rice, cucumber and red onion slices.

CREAMY CHICKEN & MUSHROOM FETTUCCINE

The Italian trick to making a silky smooth, emulsified sauce that coats every strand of pasta is tossing through a slosh of pasta cooking water at the last minute. This thickens the sauce so it becomes luscious and gorgeous.

SAUCE

★ 30g unsalted butter, cut into 2cm cubes

★ 100g button mushrooms, sliced 5mm thick

★ ¼ tsp each salt and black pepper

★ 1 garlic clove, minced

★ 60ml chardonnay wine or any dry or nonalcoholic white wine

★ 185ml double cream

★ 50g finely grated parmesan

TO SERVE

★ as per the packet directions minus 1 minute. Just before draining, scoop out 250ml of pasta cooking water (reserve for the sauce). Meanwhile, start the sauce while the pasta is cooking.

★ Cook the chicken – melt half the butter in a large, deep nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms with half the salt and pepper and cook for 1½ minutes. Add the remaining butter and, once melted, add the chicken and garlic. Stir for 3 minutes until the chicken is cooked, then transfer everything to a plate.

★ Make the sauce – pour the wine into the now empty pan. Bring to a simmer while stirring, then let it simmer rapidly for 1½ minutes or until mostly evaporated. Turn the heat down to medium, then add the cream. Once it comes to a simmer, stir in the parmesan and remaining salt and pepper. Stir to melt, then simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens.

★ Toss the pasta – add the chicken and mushrooms to the sauce, then add the pasta with 85ml of the pasta cooking water. Still over a high heat, using two wooden spoons, toss the pasta for 1-1½ minutes until the sauce thickens and is coating the pasta rather than pooling in the pan. Use the remaining pasta cooking water to adjust the looseness of the pasta, as needed.

★ Serve immediately, garnished with extra parmesan and a pinch of fresh chives or parsley. Add a side of leafy greens.

FOOD

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2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

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