Ina Garten – Serves 8

The River Kwai, a Thai food restaurant in Moreno Valley, was so popular that people would wait for hours to be seated. It was a hole-in-the-wall that served marinated grilled chicken skewers with a flavorful peanut dipping sauce. The rich sauce was sweet, salty, and had Sriracha for a subtle kick. The overall flavor was creamy, nutty, and incorporated a tang from the vinegar and lime juice. The restaurant is closed now, but I wanted to find a way to recreate the experience. 

When tasting this dish, Stephanie Netzley,  a former Park and Rec staff member and one of my favorite dinner guests, took a bite of the sauce and immediately slid the dish of peanut dipping sauce closer, and added more to her plate. She side-eyed anyone who had the nerve to ask her to pass the plate. The sauce is intended to be spread on the chicken skewers, but finds its way to the broccoli, and a dab on the brown rice is acceptable. This recipe always gets rave reviews.

Ingredients

• ¾ C Freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
• ¾ C Olive oil
• 2 t Kosher salt
• 1 t Ground black pepper
• 1 T Minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 lb Boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed
• Satay Dip, recipe follows

Directions for chicken

• Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
• Heat a charcoal grill. Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Skewer with wooden sticks and serve with Satay Dip.

Ingredients for satay dip

• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 t Dark sesame oil
• 2/3 C Small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
• 1 ½ t Minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 1 ½ t Minced fresh ginger root
• ¼ tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 T Red wine vinegar
• ¼ C Light brown sugar, packed
• 2 T Soy sauce
• ½ C Smooth peanut butter
• ¼ C Ketchup
• 2 T Dry sherry
• 1 Lime zest and juice

Directions

• Cook the olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger root, and red pepper flakes in a small, 
• heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat until the onion is transparent (10 to 15 minutes). Whisk in 
• the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, sherry, and lime juice; cook for an additional minute. Cool and use as a dip for Grilled Lemon Chicken skewers.