Chicken satay with peanut sauce

Thread bite-sized chicken pieces on soaked wooden or metal skewers and grill or barbecue them over medium-high heat, turning often, until browned and the centre reaches 75 °C. Warm the peanut sauce separately and serve it alongside, rather than brushing it on early, as its sugars can burn.

Give the chicken at least 30 minutes in the fridge; a few hours lets the ginger, garlic, soy and spices flavour it more deeply. Keep raw chicken and its marinade away from ready-to-eat food, and discard marinade that has touched raw chicken unless you boil it thoroughly.

Refrigerate the chicken and sauce in separate covered containers within two hours of cooking, and eat them within three days. Reheat the chicken until steaming hot throughout; stir the sauce as it warms and loosen it with a splash of water if it has thickened.

Serve the skewers with cucumber, sliced shallots and rice cakes, or with steamed rice for a more filling meal. A sharp cucumber salad or pickled vegetables cut through the rich, savoury-sweet sauce.

For a peanut-free dip, blend toasted sesame paste with soy sauce, lime juice, a little sugar and warm water until pourable. Check that the sesame and any other ingredients are safe for the people eating, since sesame is also an allergen.

Yes: the sauce is typically made with peanuts or peanut butter, so it is not suitable for someone with a peanut allergy. Recipes and prepared sauces can also contain ingredients such as soy, sesame or fish sauce; check the full ingredient list when allergies are a concern.

Chicken satay usually means the grilled, seasoned chicken skewers; chicken satay with peanut sauce includes the dip as part of the dish. The sauce adds richness and sweetness, while the skewers on their own are more savoury and typically have fewer carbohydrates.