This recipe has been on repeat in our house. It’s the perfect base recipe that you can swap the protein out for whatever you have on hand. We’ve made this exact version with beef, venison & fish. The smashed cucumber salad brings a fresh crunch to the dish, and the sweetness of the reduced honey soy is so versatile. Doing your skewers this way allows you get the protein nice and crispy without burning the honey by pre marinating it. It’s a much better way to do it, so you don’t have to cook the protein over low heat and can use it as a glaze once it’s cooked. A mate of mine,, chef Matt Stone, showed me this trick at one of our wild food expedition courses while we were running wild goat skewers, and it’s been a game changer ever since.
Note for over the fire* soak your timber skewers in water first so they don’t catch fire or use metal ones.
To make chicken stock rice, add 2 cups of jasmine or sushi rice to a saucepan, then add 3 cups of chicken stock. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then turn the heat off and let the liquid absorb. After about 20 minutes, once the liquid has absorbed, remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
2)
Smash the cucumber with something heavy, like a rolling pin or the back of your knife, and add it to a salad bowl with the juice of 1 lime, 1 Heaped tablespoon crunchy chilli oil, 4 shoots finely sliced Spring onion, 1 tablespoon Fish sauce, and a small handful of roughly chopped coriander. Toss to combine.
3)
Dice the raw chicken thigh into roughly 1-inch squares, thread tightly onto the skewers, and set aside.
4)
Get a heavy-based pan on a high heat, give it time to get cranking hot, then add your preferred cooking oil or fat (I just used a splash of olive oil, I know high heat BLA BLA) followed by the chicken skewers. Don’t overcrowd the pan, and if possible, add a weight on top, like a meat weight or a smaller heavy based pan. Cook for 4 minutes, then rotate for a further 4 minutes or until cooked through. And repeat with the remaining skewers.
5)
In a separate saucepan, add the soy & honey and bring to a simmer until reduced by half, then turn off the heat.
6)
Once all the skewers are cooked, dunk them in the honey-soy glaze, then plate them and pour over the remaining glaze.
7)
You can serve it all in the middle of the table, or build a bowl like we did with chicken stock rice, smashed cucumber salad and honey soy chicken skewers.
