Tamarind's Satay Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce*

These are delicious eaten hot or cold, and are ideal for packed lunches or picnics.
Yields 12 servings

Ingredients

Satay Skewers

  • 36 (6 or 8-inch) bamboo skewers
  • 1¼ cups soy sauce
  • ¼ cup red curry paste
  • ¼ minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2¼ teaspoons ground coriander
  • ¾ cup peanut oil
  • ¾ cup honey
  • 1 pound boneless sirloin or flank steak
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, well trimmed, cut lengthwise into ½-inch-wide strips
  • 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

  • ¾ cup unsalted peanuts
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon red curry paste
  • 1½ cups unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preparation for Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

  1. Place peanuts and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  2. Heat peanut oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Whisk curry paste and coconut milk into the peanut oil. Stir in the peanut mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
  4. Pour the mixture back into the food processor and blend until smooth. If not using immediately, cover tightly and refrigerate. Just prior to serving, stir in the soy sauce and lime juice.

Preparation for Satay Skewers

  1. Soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes. In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except the steak, chicken, and shrimp. Whisk until smooth.
  2. Trim and discard any excess fat from the steak. With a meat mallet or a small, heavy pot, pound the steak into ¼-inch thickness. Slice the steak into ¾-inch strips, about 3 inches long.
  3. Place the steak strips, chicken strips, and shrimp in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Pour the marinade over, removing any air, and seal. Refrigerate and let marinate up to 2 hours.
  4. Preheat a grill or boiler on high. Thread steak, chicken, and shrimp separately onto bamboo skewers and grill for 3 minutes per side, or just until cooked through. (Alternately, you can cook the satays in a hot, ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Serve hot or at room temperature with the dipping sauce.

*Recipe from the new cookbook: Holland America Line A Taste of Elegance