Chicken satay

Food editor Barney begins his cooking with kids series- first off, Barney and his daugher Maisie make chicken skewers with peanut sauce

Prep:30 mins
Cook:10 mins

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 117
fat 6g
saturates 3g
carbs 4g
sugars 3g
fibre 1g
protein 12g
salt 0.3g

Ingredients

small piece ginger
2 garlic cloves
zest and juice 1 lime
1 tsp clear honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mild curry powder
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
500g pack skinless chicken breast fillets
165ml can coconut milk
1 tsp vegetable oil
cooked rice and lime wedges, to serve
1 cucumber
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
sweet chilli sauce (optional)
bunch coriander, leaves picked (optional)

Tip

Maisie makes satay: Top tips

Whenever you deal with raw meat, especially chicken, use a separate cutting board, and make sure no fingers are licked whilst handling, and that everyone washes their hands in soapy water afterwards.

Maisie makes satay: Top tips

Place a damp piece of kitchen paper under your child’s chopping board to prevent it from sliding around.

Maisie makes satay: Top tips

Make sure you never take your eye off your child when they’re working at the hob, and communicate with them how careful they need to be.

Maisie makes satay: Skills we learnt

Batting out: Flattening and tenderising meat by gently bashing. Skewering: A dexterous skill – useful for making kebabs. Ribboning: For helping with vegetables and salads.

Maisie makes satay: What you need

2 chopping boards; box grater; small & large mixing bowls; juicer; measuring & wooden spoons; small saucepan; rolling pin or meat mallet; 12 skewers; large pastry brush; baking tray; swivel-blade peeler.

Maisie makes satay: Before you start

Clear the work surface, roll up your sleeves, put on an apron, tie back long hair and wash your hands well. Then gather all the ingredients and equipment together.

Method

KIDS the writing in bold is for you. GROWN-UPS the rest is for you. Make a yummy marinade. Peel the ginger and help them to finely grate it and tip it into a bowl. Repeat with the garlic and lime zest. Halve the lime and get your child to juice it, then mix it in a bowl with the honey, soy, curry powder and peanut butter. Get them to give it a good mix, adding a small splash of water if it’s too stiff, then help them spoon two-thirds of the mix into a small pan. Set aside for Step 4.
Now for some chicken bashing! Put the chicken in the sandwich bag, one breast at a time, getting your child to flatten each one with a rolling pin or a meat mallet – this isn’t essential, but they like doing it.
Mix the chicken with the marinade you made. Cut the chicken into strips, tip it into the remaining third of the peanut-butter mix, then get your child to stir well. Cover with cling film and chill until required. This can be done up to 3 hrs ahead.
Cook your tasty sauce. While the chicken is marinating, pour the coconut milk into the pan and get your child to stir together with the peanut butter mix. The sauce needs to be heated gently and stirred – suitable for confident seven- or eight-year olds, under strict adult supervision.
'Sew' the chicken onto the skewers. The chicken needs to be threaded into ‘S’ shapes onto the skewers. Get your child to thread the skewers away from themselves, being careful of the sharp points. Younger ones might find this a little fiddly, so they could just push on small chunks.
Paint the tray with oil and cook the chicken. Heat the grill to high and get your child to brush a baking tray with oil. They can then line up the skewers on the tray. Grill the skewers for about 10 mins, turning occasionally, until lightly charred.
Make cucumber ribbons with a peeler. Using a swivel-blade peeler, get your child to peel the cucumber into a bowl, then carry on peeling the cucumber flesh into ribbons until they get to the seeds. Repeat with each side of the cucumber.
Mix a dressing for the cucumber. Get your child to mix the vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves – explain what dissolves means. Add the sweet chilli, if using, then pour over the cucumber. Add coriander if your child likes it, or serve on the side for the grown-ups. To serve, put the skewers on a platter, the sauce and salad in bowls, and serve with rice and lime wedges on the side.