Ingredients (serves 2)
300 gram / 10.6 oz free range chicken thighs
or
400 gram / 14.1 oz brussels sprouts
8 cherry tomatoes
Marinade
1 shallot
1 clove of garlic
3 tbsp of olive oil
½ tsp grated ginger
2 tsp of tamarind paste
1 tbsp Ketjap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
Salt and pepper
Vegetables
3 tbsp of chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp of chilli paste (sambal oelek is the Indonesian name)
1 stalk of lemon grass
1/4 white cabbage
½ courgette
1 red or yellow capsicum
1 spring onion
1 leek
1 stalk of celery
1 tsp palm sugar
Juice of ½ a lime
Handful of coriander
1 tbsp of roasted sesame seeds
Rapeseed oil or peanut oil
150 gram / 5.3 oz. Noodles
Satay sauce, store bought
Directions
Clean the Brussels sprouts or, if using chicken, cut the chicken meat into bite sized chunks.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Add the sprouts and the cherry tomatoes or chicken chunks, stir until they are fully covered with the marinade, then cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Thread the pieces onto wooden skewers.
Wash, dry and cut all the vegetables, cutting the cabbage into thin slivers, and the other vegetable however you like. Remove the outer leaves of the lemon grass and crush them with the back of a large chef’s knife.
Mix together the chopped onion, chopped garlic, grated ginger, chilli paste and crushed lemon grass.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok, add the onion mixture and fry for a few minutes. Add all the vegetables except for the spring onion and fry for another few minutes over a high heat. Add the sugar and 3 tbsp of water. Stir well, over a high heat. Add the lemon juice. Stir well, then turn off the heat.
Prepare the noodles and satay sauce according instructions on the package.
Heat a grill pan or BBQ and grill the skewers with Brussels sprouts and cherry tomatoes or chicken.
Heat up the satay sauce.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the vegetables.
Roughly chop the washed and dried coriander leaves, divide them over the vegetables.
Home made satay sauce:
3 tbsp chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground laos
2 tsp sambal oelek (chilli paste)
1 laurel leaf
1 kaffir lime leaf
3 tbsp ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce)
Juice of ½ a lime
200 gram / 7 oz of peanut butter
400 ml / 13.52 fl. oz coconut milk
Blend the first 7 ingredients in a blender. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan, add the mixture, then fry for a few minutes. Add the ketjap manis, the peanut butter and a splash of coconut milk. Lower the heat, stir until well combined.
Gradually add more of the coconut milk, stirring until all is well blended. Add laurel leaf and kaffir lime leaf, simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
Turn off the heat, add the lime juice, stir well. Add more coconut milk if the sauce is too thick, or more peanut butter if the sauce is too thin. Season to taste with ketjap, lime juice and chilli paste.
IKKYU Tea Pairing recommendations
Premium Organic Houjicha
Brewing: 10 g 250 ml 8 hours CBHT (Cold Brew Hot Tea)
Taste: umami, sweet
Aroma taste: nutty, earthy, grains, vegetal, spices; dark roasted hazelnut, cashew, light coffee, toast, aniseed, fennel
Aftertaste: long, smooth, sweet, a bit bright Texture: smooth, round, ends dry
Flavour type: rich, later on a bit bright
Effect: the tea became fruitier, brighter and sweeter, with notes of aniseed in the aftertaste when combined with the food. The sauce became nuttier, its spices enhanced.
The tomato became softer, less acidic, more umami, fuller, rich, almost.
The Brussels Spouts became bright and fruity. Balance and enhancement.
