Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips
• Vegetable oil, for the grill
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped, including some of the green part
• 3 tablespoons chunky peanut butter, preferably all-natural and sugar-free
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha, or to taste
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup water
• Rice
• Sliced cucumbers
• Fresh pungent greens such as Thai basil or arugula

Directions

1. If you’re working with bamboo skewers, place them in warm water and leave them there for 30 minutes.
2. Choose a bowl that will comfortably fit the chicken. Mix the brown sugar with the vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, sriracha, and ginger, then add the chicken strips and turn them through the marinade until well coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or as long as overnight. If fridge space is tight, a resealable gallon-sized plastic bag works for the marinating, too.
3. For the sauce, warm the oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the scallions and stir them around for about 30 seconds, just until they soften. Add the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, sriracha, lime juice, and 1/3 cup of the water.
4. Whisk the sauce as it cooks, stopping once the peanut butter has melted in and everything looks smooth and combined. If it needs loosening, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, until it has the texture of heavy cream. Taste, then adjust with more hoisin, Sriracha, or lime juice if you’d like.
5. Spoon the sauce into a serving bowl, or let it cool, move it to an airtight container, and refrigerate it for up to a week.
6. Slide 1 to 2 pieces of the marinated chicken onto each skewer, then arrange the skewers on a baking sheet.
7. For a charcoal grill, light one chimney full of coals. Once the coals are ashy, spread them in an even layer and let the grates get hot for 5 minutes. Use tongs to hold a folded square of paper towel, dip it in oil, and rub the grates well.
8. For a gas grill, preheat on high heat for about 20 minutes. Oil the grates generously with a folded square of paper towel dipped in oil and held with tongs.
9. Cook the chicken on the grill for about 3 minutes on each side, until the outside is browned and the chicken is cooked through. Move the skewers to a platter and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving.
10. Serve the skewers as an appetizer with the sauce for dipping, or make them a meal with rice, cucumbers, and greens.