Peanut Satay Roast Chicken Legs

This is just one more way to roast off a chicken leg!  There are never too many great chicken recipe options out there, wouldn’t you agree?! 

By the end of February, I don’t know about you, but my brain starts to atrophy.  It’s like I can’t come up with one more recipe to feed us during the week. I know that there are always chicken legs or thighs in the freezer, and serving these with rice or potatoes will always satisfy Jim.  So what could I make this week? 

I was cleaning out my chest freezer the other week, and came across all sorts of tupperware containers of sauces and gravies etc.  There was frozen stock, all sorts of meat, some breadcrumbs, lemon slices, and even some ice cream!  Yay.  But we can’t have ice cream for dinner (we could but we could never promote it!)  I remembered that there was also a small container of satay sauce from a time that I made a huge tray of chicken skewers and sauce for a party.  Satay sauce is a wonderful combination of curry powder, peanut butter, honey or sugar, red chilli peppers and coconut milk.  It is the perfect play of sweet, salty, spicy and creamy.  It got its start in Indonesia or Thailand (they both lay claim to it, I’ll let them decide which one wins) I didn’t feel like going through the hassle of skewering the meat this time around, so I wondered if I could just marinade some legs or thighs in the sauce?  Sure, who was going to stop me?

So I defrosted the sauce and thinned it out slightly with coconut milk.  The kind from the can.  I put the sauce and the legs into a freezer bag and massaged the sauce into all the nooks and crannies of that chicken.  A few hours later, and I removed them from the bag, and brushed away the excess sauce.  I seared the legs on both sides on the stove top, and then transferred the pan to the oven for the chicken to cook through.

While that was happening, I took some sauce that hadn’t come in contact with the raw chicken (I reserved it at the beginning) and warmed it through in a small stock pot.  A bit more coconut milk to make sure that it was suitably pourable, and dinner was done.

The fun part is garnishing this dish.  Chopped roasted peanuts, cilantro leaves, lime wedges and even some thinly sliced Thai red chilli pepper all make sure that this dish turns into a party on the table and in your mouth.  Serve it with a side of coconut rice and a cucumber salad. 

To make Coconut Rice: Take your favourite basic jasmine or basmati rice recipe, and replace half of the water with coconut milk (the kind from the can, like Thai Kitchen)  Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar, and cook as per the usual instructions.  The rice ends up nice and fluffy, but with a lovely undercurrent of coconut.  It is not overpowering at all, but it works wonderfully with all Asian inspired dishes.

Slicing or shaving cucumbers into ribbons and adding cilantro, shallots, garlic and tossing it all in rice wine vinegar and smoked sesame oil makes for a perfect contrast to the spicy chicken.  Just a great dinner.  And one less dinner you’ll have to worry about before the Spring thaw is here in earnest!

Love Jen

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Peanut Satay Roast Chicken

A sauce that is sweet, spicy, salty and creamy all at the same time is the marinade and finishing sauce for this easy seared and roasted chicken. Crunchy peanuts, bright limes and fresh cucumbers, along with a side of coconut rice is the perfect way to showcase this Asian inspired dish.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword chicken legs, satay

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 4

Ingredients

Satay Sauce

• 1 medium white or Spanish onion roughly chopped (you can use a yellow onion as well)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup organic peanut butter no added sugar
• 3 tbsp honey or coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1-2 Thai red chillies as you see fit heat-wise, seeded and de-veined, how much you use will depend on their size and your heat tolerance.
• 1/4 cup coconut cream or milk from a can, not drinking coconut milk
• kosher salt and cracked pepper

Roast Chicken

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 Chicken Legs
• 1/4 cup coconut cream or milk
• fresh cilantro for garnish
• chopped roasted peanuts for garnish
• lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

Satay Sauce, can be made earlier in the day and kept refrigerated.

1. If you are using a yellow onion or especially hot garlic, you may consider doing the following:
2. In a small sauté pan, chop and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat till softened. This will get rid of any bite or harshness when they are added to the final sauce.
3. If you are using white or Spanish onions and the garlic are not strong in a nasty way, you can use them raw.
4. Combine the onions, garlic and the rest of the ingredients (except the coconut cream) in the food processor.

5. Slowly add the coconut cream or milk (1 tbsp at a time) until you achieve the consistency you want. You want a smooth, creamy, dip. Not too runny but not too thick either. Season with salt and pepper. Start with 1/4 tsp of each.

Marinate the Chicken:

1. Place 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the Peanut Sauce into a large freezer bag. Add the chicken legs to the bag and massage the sauce into all the nooks and crannies of the chicken pieces. Seal the bag securely and store in the fridge, turning the pieces over occasionally. It should stay in the fridge a minimum of 1 hour, but can stay in the fridge overnight.

Roast the Chicken:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. When ready to sear off the chicken, remove the pieces from the bag, and scrape off any excess sauce. Some can adhere, but you don't want the pieces swimming in the sauce when you add them to the skillet to sear off. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all the sides of the chicken pieces.

2. Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium high heat on the stove top. Add the olive oil and coat the surface well. Placing skin side down first, sear off the chicken pieces on both sides, turning after a good burnish has been achieved, about 5 minutes per side. Do not life the chicken or move it before it has created a lovely crust.
3. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast off the chicken in the oven till completely cooked through to 170F. This should take anywhere between 45 minutes and 1 hour, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
4. Meanwhile, add the remaining unused peanut sauce to a small saucepan and warm through over medium low heat. If you would like to thin it out at all to make it pourable over the chicken, add coconut milk, 1 Tbsp at a time till the desired consistency is achieved.
5. Serve on a platter, garnished with cilantro, chopped peanuts and lime wedges. Serve the sauce on top, or on the side.
6. This works wonderfully with a cucumber salad and coconut rice.

Recipe Notes

The sauce will keep fine on its own in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer.  

Use the sauce for soba noodles and sautéed veggies, topped with chopped peanuts, a great meatless meal!

Thin the sauce out and it is a great salad dressing.

See the blog post for directions on how to make Coconut Rice