Indonesian-Style Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Courtesy of Sara Moulton Cooks at Home

Serves 4

For the chicken:

8 large chicken thighs, about 2½ lbs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup vegetable oil, preferably peanut oil

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tbsp ground, toasted coriander seeds*

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp curry powder

2 tbsp unsalted butter

* If you’re in a hurry you can grab your ground coriander, but if you have time toast these in a pan until fragrant and grind them in a spice grinder.

For the sauce:

¾ cup peanut butter

½ cup hoisin sauce

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp Asian toasted sesame oil

One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

Pinch hot red pepper flakes

To prepare the chicken, trim the thighs of excess fat and use a sharp knife to score. Cut through the skin, deep into the flesh, at ½-inch intervals. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, the soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, cayenne, and curry powder together in a small bowl. Transfer to a large plastic bag with resealable closure. Place the thighs in the bag and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Shake the bag from time to time to distribute the marinade evenly.

Preheat the oven to 400˚. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large ovenpoof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thighs and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Pour off the fat, leave the thighs in the skillet, and transfer to the oven. Bake, uncovered, turning once, until a fork inserted near the bone easily enters the flesh, about 25 minutes.

To prepare the sauce, combine the peanut butter, hoisin, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and pepper flakes in a blender. Pour in ½ cup water and blend until smooth.

Arrange the thighs on a large warmed platter. Drizzle on a small amount of the sauce and serve the rest on the side.