 Hosted By
Ellice & Monty |
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1 1/2 pounds large shrimp |
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1 tablespoon fresh llme juice |
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4 whole fresh or thawed, frozen kaffir llme leaves long and thlnly sllced |
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1/2 teaspoon dried shrimp paste |
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5 shallots coarsely chopped |
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2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped |
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1 to 4 fresh red Holland chlles stemmed and coarsely chopped |
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1 plece fresh ginger, 1 inch |
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1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk |
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First, peel the shrimp. Leave the tail segments intact, if you like, which will make the
satay prettier. Devein each shrimp by making a shallow cut along the back and pulling
out the thin, veinlike intestinal tract with your fingers.
Place the shrimp in a nonreactive bowl. Pour in the lime juice and combine it well
with the shrimp, Allow the shrimp to sit, uncovered and unrefrigerated, while you
prepare the marinade. (fhe lime juice helps freshen the shrimp and rid them of any
"fishy" taste.)
Now, make the marinade. Use a sharp paring knife to remove the thick center stem of
each kaffir lime leaf Stack the leaves on top of one another and cut them lengthwise
into the thinnest possible strips. Place the shrimp paste in the center of a 5-inch square of aluminum
foil. Fold the edges of the foil over to form a small parcel, and press down with the heel
of your hand to flatten the shrimp paste into a disk tf 4 inch (6 millimeters) thick. Heat
a gas burner to medium-low or an electric burner to medium-high. Using a pair of tongs
or 2 forks, place the sealed parcel directly on the heat source. Toast until the paste
begins to smoke and release a burning, shrimpy smell, about 1 1/2 minutes. With the
tongs or forks, turn the parcel over and toast the other side for another 1 1/2 minutes,
then turn off the burner. Again using the tongs or forks, remove the parcel and let cool
for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Carefully unwrap the foil; the edges of the disk should be black-brown and toasty and the center should be golden with some black-brown
patches. Using a spoon, scrape the toasted shrimp paste into a small bowl and allow it to
cool for another 3o seconds. Discard the foil.
Place the lime leaves, toasted shrimp paste, shailots, garlic, chiles, ginger, candlenuts,
palm sugar, and salt in a small food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth paste the
consistency of creamy mashed potatoes.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch to see if the oil is the right temperature by adding a pinch of the ground marinade. It should sizzle slightly around the edges, not fry aggressively or sit motionless. When the oil is ready, add the ground marinade and saute, stirring
as needed to prevent scorching until the mixture smells mellow and deeply aromatic, about 5 minutes. The paste should
be beginning to separate from the oil but don't worry if it doesn't. Let its aroma be
the indicator of its doneness.
Add the coconut milk to the skillet and stir well to combine with the saut6ed paste.
Stirring constantly, bring the coconut milk to a gentle boil. As soon as it begins to bubble,
remove the pan from the heat. Test it for salt. Remember, this is a marinade for
quite a lot of shrimp, so don't undersalt. tansfer the marinade to a bowl to cool completely
When the marinade has cooled to room temperature, pour it over the shrimp and mix
rvell. (Don't drain the lime juice from the shrimp. It will make the satay even more flavorful.)
Let the shrimp marinate, uncovered, at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours-the
longer you marinate, the more flavorful the shrimp will be. (It's my opinion-and the
opinion of many Southeast Asian cooks-that cool temperatures inhibit the marinade
process, resulting in a less flavorful dish. But if you're uncomfortable with leaving the
shrimp at room temperature for this length of time, by all means refrigerate them.)
Thread the shrimp onto the presoaked bamboo skewers, sticking the point straight
through the flesh of each shrimp twice: the first time, 1/3 to 1/2 inch
from the tip of the tail; the second, into the fleshiest, thickest part of the shrimp,
about 1/4 inch rom the end. Thread 2 shrimp onto each skewer.
Discard the extra marinade.
To cook the shrimp on a grlll, first prepare a very hot charcoal fire and oil the grill rack liberally When the fire is ready arrange the charcoal in
a high pile. You want the shrimp to be as close to the fire as possible, so they sear
quickly Place each skewer on the grill, making sure that the shrimp, nor the skewer, is directly over the heat. Grill the shrimp until they are cooked through and have begun to pick up a few crispy brown-black spots, 2 to 3 minutes; the timing will depend on how hot the fire is. Turn the skewers over carefully and continue grilling until the
other side has also picked up crispy brown-black spots, another 2 to 3 minutes. Don't
overcook the shrimp. They dry out quickly, and you want them to be as plump and
juicy as possible.
Tansfer the satay to a serving dish and let the skewers rest until they're cool enough to
handle, about r minute. Serve immediately |
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