Okay… Bear with me! I got the idea for this post from another I read somewhere recently about making the ‘Easiest Satay Sauce’. Something in my mind made me ask myself: “What makes Satay, ‘Satay’?” My answer surprised me even more than the realization that I was talking to myself and making sense…
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(Left) Classic Chicken Sewers
(Satay) with Spicy Peanut
Sauce – this particular recipe
using Coconut Cream and
Thai Spices. Just add a
tsp. of Thai Chili Paste
(or less, to taste) to three
level tbsp. of Peanut Butter
and blend thoroughly.
Chili Oil works well, too.
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Iconic Satay
According to Wikipedia: “A typical recipe usually contains ground roasted peanuts or peanut butter (smooth or crunchy), coconut milk, soy sauce, tamarind, galangal, garlic, and spices (such as coriander seed or cumin). Other possible ingredients are chili peppers, sugar, fried onion, and lemongrass.”
Seems simple enough, even if you don’t have a blender or food processor and have to grind the Peanuts from scratch in a mortar and pestle. But some of us won’t have all the called-for spices and other stuff on hand, and the idea is to make something new and exciting and zippy without having to go out into the COVID-19 infected wilderness and risk interacting with other folks. Add to that, that we want to be able to make our Satay surrogate quickly without a lot of fuss.
I’ve come up with some great (even if I do say so, myself) Satay Sauce stand-ins which will give you a whole new angle on what a savoury Peanut Sauce can do for your every-day recipes!
Secret’s in the mixin’s
For many of my ad hoc Satay substitute creations, the secret lies in pairing Smooth Peanut Butter with other preparations that already contain nicely-balanced blends of savoury, exotique flavours that have become iconic tastes of their respective cuisines…
Here are some examples…
My first choice for a savoury Satay substitute is as simple as it gets: To three tablespoons of Peanut Butter, as ad much as one teaspoon of Dijon Mustard and mix well with a small whisk. Add a pinch of Sugar (brown) or a few drops of Maple Syrup to take edge off this potentially sharp combo. Wow! Use for any Mediterrannean dish that needs some zip or as a dip.
A slight amendment to the above concept thoroughly Americanizes the Mustard/ Peanut duet. Blend Peanut Butter with regular Prepared Yellow Mustard and add some Ketchup (both additions to taste – start with the 3 tbsp. to 1 tsp. formula as stated above). Add some Mayo (to taste) or hold the Ketchup and store in squeeze bottle. Add a good squirt of Kraft/Heinz Mayochup for the ultimate Ballpark Hot Dog top-dressing experience.
Add Mayo or Ketchup alone for yet another, different experience.
Add jarred Butter Chicken, Vindaloo or Masala Sauce to taste as desired for a taste of India.
Blend your usual Roast Beef, Turkey or Chicken Gravy with a little Peanut Butter – with or without the kiss of Dijon Mustard – to make something really special.
Bet you can come up with many other blends to leverage the universal appeal of Peanut Butter!
… Or go sweet!
I’ve blended Peanut Butter with Yogurt, Sour Cream, Heavy Cream or Coconut Cream (with a pinch or two of sweetener of your choice, to your taste).
Chocolate and Peanuts are best flavour buddies. Blend Peanut Butter (or one of the PB and Cream blends from directly above) with good quality Dark Chocolate Syrup for a great Drizzle, Dip or Pour-over.
Quick Guideline: Try PB blended with any of the Creamy additions above as a luxe substitute for whole, chopped or crushed Peanuts.
Okay…
That ought to get you started! Have fun with the kids (or other adults) trying small test batches of different PB blends and be sure to taste test them on everything you can think of. Be sure to write down the formulae of any and all of the promising new blends you create for future reference!
~ Maggie J.