Sate lilit, made from minced meat or seafood, is a specialty of Bali. On neighbouring Lombok minced satays are known as sate pusut and in Sumatra, where the mince is moulded into balls then threaded onto the skewers, it’s called sate pentul. Unlike most other satays, sate lilit isn’t traditionally served with peanut sauce, but I won’t tell if you decide to add some. Especially when making sate lilit ikan (seafood sate lilit) it’s great to use stalks of lemongrass as skewers; if you have a bush in the garden, this is a good use for the thinner stalks that aren’t worth harvesting for cooking. Otherwise use flat bamboo skewers, rather than round ones, so the mince doesn’t easily slide off; if cooking them over charcoal, soak the skewers in water for 15 minutes before threading to reduce the chance of them burning. The technique of blitzing ice and chilled water into the paste is the same one used to make tum and also by European cooks in sausage making; it ensures a very fine mince with a slightly springy texture. I usually cook sate lilit in a pan rather than on a grill, as I find them less likely to stick in the pan; of course if they do stick a little they still taste great!
Serves 2–4 (Makes 12 skewers)
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