A Birthday, a Charm, a Satay and a pie.

Posted by annauk1 on July 22, 2011
Posted in: Carine Goren, Chicken, Family recipes, Pie. 19 Comments
A long time ago in the flower power 60’s, a child was born….who would change the World….

Well, maybe not the World! Just a little corner of Birmingham.

Today is my birthday.

I don’t know why my family would choose a cupcake charm for my bracelet?
Do you?

Ha ha.

Anyway, changing the subject…
I asked for some help deciding what to make with some chicken thighs on my facebook group:

‘Yes, I do take photos of my food. I admit it.’

There were some nice suggestions, but one really caught my eye. Chicken Satay.
I’ve never made chicken Satay before, but Billie who is a member there gave me a really nice recipe for it.
As per usual, I decided to play around with the recipe, googled.
Natch.
And came up with my own recipe for it.
It was soooooo nice!  Am I allowed to feel a teeny tiny bit of pride for creating it?

Would you like the recipe dear reader?

Chicken in Satay Sauce (Serves 3)

600g skinless, boneless chicken strips (I used thigh, because that is what I had at home, but I’m sure breast would be lovely too)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 heaped tbsp smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
6 tbsp coconut milk
half a pint of chicken stock (plain water would also be fine)
crushed chilli flakes (optional)
small handful of crushed peanuts
2 spring onions, finely sliced .

1. Marinate the chicken in the soy, garlic and sugar for at least an hour if you can.
2. Fry off the chicken, until beautifully golden and caramelised. Reserve the marinade.

3. In the reserved marinade also mix in the peanut butter, sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, coconut milk and stock, mix well.
4. Pour over the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Taste, and if you like things spicy, add more heat in the form of  the crushed chillies flakes.
6. Serve over rice, garnish with the crushed peanuts and spring onions.

Keeping with the nutty theme I also made Carine Goren’s ‘Go Nuts pie’

Oh.
My.
Word.

A pastry shell filled with toffee and loooooads of salted peanuts and cashews.
A new take on the salty/sweet combo.

Heavenly!

Going Nuts Pie
Adapted from Carine Goren’s amazing book ‘Sweet Secrets’

Pastry:
1 3/4 cups flour
pinch salt
3/4 cup icing (powdered) sugar
3/4 cup butter, cold and cubed
1 egg, beaten.

Filling:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup double (heavy) cream
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts, toasted
1 1/2 cups salted cashews, toasted.

9 inch square pie pan or 14×4 inch rectangular pie pan.

Make the pastry and bake:
1. Process the flour, salt, icing sugar and butter into coarse crumbs (I used my Kitchen Aid fitted with the beater)
2. Flatten the dough out, wrap with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
3. Roll  into a rectangle on a floured sheet of parchment paper and transfer to the pie pan by flipping it over into the pan and then removing the paper.
4. Press the dough into the pan, going up the sides too, prick with a fork and freeze for 15 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 180 deg. C.
Bake the pie for 15 minutes until golden brown (mine needed 20 minutes)
Cool, while you make the filling.

Make the filling, assemble and bake:
6. Reduce the oven to 160 deg. C.
7. In a saucepan heat the butter, sugar and honey, stirring until the sugar melts. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the nuts.
8. Pour nut mixture into pie shell and bake for 10-15 minutes until filling is bubbling.
9. carefully remove pie from pan while filling is still hot, otherwise as it cools it will stick the pie to the pan. (I made mine in a pyrex dish, left it in there and it IS difficult, but not impossible to remove, so do as Corine says :-)))
10. Keep refrigerated and serve at room temperature.

Do try and get your hands on a copy of ‘Sweet Secrets’.  It’s a fabulous book!

19 comments on “A Birthday, a Charm, a Satay and a pie.”

  4. Happy birthday. What do you mean a long time ago in the 60s? Surely it wan't that long ago was it? I seem to remember it clearly – well, bits of it. That is an extraordinary pie – I can't quite imagine the taste. I'll have to add it to my to do list.

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  5. Oh Anna! iiiiiHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MOST LOVELY GIRL I 'KNOW'iiiiiI know your gorgeous family would have made your day special – and of course the charm is perfect:):)Mouth, watering, need, nutty, fix, NOW!! Both recipes are making me lustful for salty, spicy, sweet, decadent nutty Anna Birthday Meal:DMay your year see more of your dreams come true!LoveCoby

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  6. Happy Birthday, Anna. The chicken looks marvelous and you have every right to be proud of it. I also think your pie is appropriately decadent :-). I hope you have a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary

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  8. Happy Birthday Anna!! Ok, I'm a day late, but still… hope it was a fantastic day!The chicken looks mouth watering!! And the pie.. well, who would turn away pie? Not me 🙂

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  10. Happy, happy birthday, my friend!!! Hope your day was wonderful…and that every bite you ate was delicious. I love chicken satay…I don't think I've ever made it at home. Glad to have a recipe to try 🙂

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  11. Happy belated Birthday, Anna! The chicken Satay and the Pie were a very tasty way to celebrate, and your new bracelet an appropriate finishing touch!!!Wishing you a whole great year!!XO

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  12. Browsing the web of blogs, I ended up here in yours.I love your blog: Recipes, graphics, all the interesting content.I have added to your followers so you do not lose more sight.If you like, go and see, you're welcome.Excuse my English, I'm ItalianLa Magica Zucca

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  15. Belated Happy Birthday, hope you had a good day. Love Satay sauce (and used to love chicken before I became vegetarian) so I can imagine that was delicious. But your pudding I can unequivocally say – I WANT some.

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  18. Hey Anna… I just had to tell you that I made your chicken in satay sauce tonight… I made a few changes, but pretty much stayed with the same ingredients and it was FABULOUS!! I'll be posting about it probably in a week or so! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

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