Most people probably wouldn’t look at a recipe for chicken kebabs and immediately think, I could turn that into a salad! But where’s the fun in being like most people? I’d been hankering for a salad with chicken and a peanut-based sauce, and no fear of being different was going to stop me.
As often happens, it all started in a very different place from where it ended. I saw a recipe in Bon Appetit for a stir-fry with chicken, greens, and peanuts. Before looking at the recipe in depth, my imagination skipped ahead to a peanut sauce covering dark green kale. The contrast of a smooth peanut sauce and a slightly bitter green seemed irresistible (kale is always so fun to dress up). Then I actually looked at the recipe and didn’t see what I wanted. So, like the persistent cook that I am, I took the kale base idea and went searching for a peanut sauce and chicken recipe to top it.
It wasn’t long before I found a potential recipe in What to Cook and How to Cook It. It was for chicken kebabs, but the sauce was what got me. I already have a peanut sauce recipe in my repertoire, but why not try another one? This sauce uses the food processor for the first part, but then the mixture gets sautéed in a pan for a bit (you can use the pan you sautéed the kale in, so this extra step isn’t going to create more dishes). Then you add the peanut butter, water, and fish sauce, and let heat do its magic, melting the peanut butter into a sauce flavored with garlic, jalapeno (seeds removed, unless you want it extra hot), garlic, and cumin.
I know this begs the question: which sauce is better? Well, they’re both great. This peanut sauce is thicker than my previous one, which makes it perfect for coating diced chicken (the other sauce, used in a chicken and cabbage salad, seems better as a salad dressing, since it’s runnier). The just-wilted kale takes well to both the chicken and the sauce, as I knew it would. A couple extra, not-too-difficult steps are totally worth it here. I’m all about simplifying, so I do not make this statement lightly.
So the next time you look at a recipe and see that it could be something completely different, trust yourself and know you’re not alone. It’s how some of the best things get made.
Peanut Chicken with Kale
Adapted from What to Cook and How to Cook It
1 bunch kale, leaves coarsely chopped (discard stems)
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small jalepeno chile, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon safflower oil, plus more for cooking
4 heaping tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the kale leaves and cook, stir occasionally, until just wilted. Transfer wilted kale to a large bowl. Set aside the pan to use for the peanut sauce.
- In a separate skillet, heat a little oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Combine the chile, onion, garlic, cumin, and 1 tablespoon oil in a food processor. Blend until the mixture is smooth with tiny bits of onion still visible.
- Heat a little oil over medium-low heat in the same skillet you wilted the kale in. Add the onion mixture and let cook and thicken, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter, water, and the fish sauce (a whisk is great for this part, to make sure everything is well combined).
- Add the chicken to the skillet, stirring to coat in the peanut sauce. Serve the chicken over the kale for individual servings, or add all the chicken to the bowl with the kale to make a salad.
The Food Beat 