Satay

Method

1. mince10 min
   pounded to a paste
   lemongrass + shallots + 2 cloves garlic + turmeric + coriander + cumin, worked until no fibre is recognisable — lemongrass that is merely sliced never releases its oil and will also lodge between the meat and the fire as a scorching wick
2. marinate120 min
   refrigerated
   chicken + two-thirds of the spice paste + 0.25 cup of the coconut milk + 1 tbsp palm sugar + fish sauce + peanut oil + salt. The coconut fat is the solvent: turmeric and the toasted spice aromatics are fat-soluble and will not travel into the meat in a watery marinade. There is deliberately no citrus here — acid over two hours denatures the thigh surface into something chalky that the grill cannot fix
3. simmer10 min
   low, stirring
   remaining spice paste + remaining garlic bloomed in the pan, + peanut butter + remaining coconut milk + kecap manis + tamarind paste + remaining palm sugar + hot water to loosen = peanut sauce. Keep it below a boil; hard boiling breaks the coconut emulsion and the sauce goes to oil slick over grit. It should coat a spoon and fall in a ribbon — it thickens further as it cools, so pull it thinner than you want it
4. prep10 min
   skewers soaked 30 min in water
   thread the strips onto soaked bamboo in a flat accordion, meat pushed close but not compressed. Dry skewers burn through at the handle; compressed meat cooks as a solid block and stays raw at the core while the outside is already charred
5. grill8 min
   hot direct heat, turning every 90 seconds
   skewers over the coals, basting once per turn with the marinade left in the bowl. The palm sugar is what gives the lacquered edges — and what will scorch to bitterness if the meat sits still. Stop basting for the last minute so the raw marinade cooks off. Done when the thin edges are black-flecked and the thick centre springs back, about 2 minutes a side
6. rest3 min
   off heat, uncovered
   skewers rest so the juices redistribute; covering them tightly steams the char you just built back into softness. Serve with the peanut sauce alongside rather than poured over — the sauce is a dip, and pooled on the meat it soaks the crust