Hong Kong was and still is famous for its amazing expanse of culinary offerings. As the Chinese immigrants poured into Hong Kong to escape the Japanese invasion of China in the 1920s, the streets boasted increasing numbers of restaurants and street hawker stalls (dai pai dongs), which congregated on any street pavement in Hong Kong. These dai pai dongs were no more than tiny metal trolleys that served these chicken skewers as well as an array of other dishes including pungent preserved bean curd, fishballs and Shanghai dumplings called pot stickers because they stuck to the pot, filled with meat and vegetables and cuttlefish on a stick. In fact, these dai pai dongs had the foresight to put most of their items on a stick so it made eating on the go possible. These food sellers were found throughout the city and turned snacking into a Chinese institution. If you had the appetite, one could eat from morning till midnight. The rise in food sellers reduced prices and made food available to the masses. Chicken skewers with the peanut satay dip became a firm favourite with the nation.
Serves 2
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
200g chicken fillets, cut into strips
For the marinade
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or sherry
1 tablespoon light soy sauce or tamari (if gluten free)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon minced garlic
For the satay dip
140g peanuts
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon chilli paste
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Soak 12 wooden skewers, approx. 17.5cm long, in warm water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the marinade ingredients in a bowl and marinade the chicken strips for at least 20 minutes.
Prepare the satay dip by crushing the peanuts using a pestle and mortar or put in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. You want to retain some texture in the sauce so therefore it is not advisable to blend the peanuts in a food processor, which will give it the consistency of smooth peanut butter. In a saucepan (without any oil), toast the crushed peanuts on a light heat until they brown for approximately 3 minutes. Then add the salt, ground turmeric, chilli paste, salt and sugar. Add the water and oil and cook for 5.
Preheat a griddle pan. Then thread three pieces of chicken onto each of the wooden skewers. Cook the skewers for a few minutes on each side until cooked golden brown for approximately for 3 minutes on each side. Serve with the satay sauce.
To book a table at Sweet Mandarin email sweetmandarintables@gmail.com . Our opening times are Tuesday – Sunday 5-10pm.
Sweet Mandarin is a Chinese Restaurant in Manchester which serves delicious Chinese cuisine and exotic cocktails. We make our own sweet chilli sauce, bbq sauce, sweet & sour sauce which you can buy from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Ocado, Booths, Wing Yip and Chi Yip. Sweet Mandarin Chinese Restaurant and Cookery Schoolcan cater for the gluten free, dairy free diners. We are a short 15 minute walk from the Manchester Arena. We are not based in Chinatown, but based in the trendy Northern Quarter near the Arndale Centre, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Debenhams and Primark. The nearest hotels to us are the Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Express, Premier Apartments, Blue Rainbow Aparthotels, Light Hotel and Hatters Hostel.