Chicken satay in the hole

Ingredients

For the chicken satay

• 8 chicken thighs, deboned, skin removed
• 5 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp curry powder – spice level to your tastes
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp grated garlic
• 1 red chilli, finely diced
• 1 tbsp black pepper

For the hole

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 250ml milk
• 110g plain flour
• 3 large eggs
• A handful of coriander, roughly chopped

Method

Start by making your satay sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, garam masala, curry powder, ginger, garlic, chilli, black pepper and 30ml water to make a runny sauce. Marinate the chicken thighs in half of the satay mix for at least half an hour and ideally overnight.

Heat the oven to 220C. In in a hot oiled frying pan, sear each chicken thigh for 2 mins per side, then set aside. This allows any moisture to come out of the chicken before it’s cooked in the Yorkshire pudding, to make it as crispy as possible.

Pour 4 tbsp sunflower oil over the base of a baking tin, then add the red onions and layer the chicken thighs on top. Place in the oven for 5 minutes until the oil is piping hot.

While the chicken is in the oven, make your batter. Whisk the milk, flour, eggs and coriander together then add 1 tbsp of the remaining satay sauce. Once the oil is piping hot, pour the batter around the chicken and place it back in the oven. From this stage on it is imperative you don’t open the door back up until ready. After 20 mins the Yorkshire pudding should have risen and be golden and crispy.

Just before you serve, heat the last of the satay sauce in a pan over a low heat, adding a little more water if it starts to catch at the bottom. Serve the sauce on the side.

I love serving this with whatever greens are in season – charred cabbage pairs perfectly, as do crispy kale or steamed broccoli with sesame seeds.

Image: Stuart Ovenden