Welcome to my favorite island in the Caribbean, St. Barth!

The Excellence program leads us every winter to this magical and exclusive destination. The mix of French lifestyle and relaxed island vibe can’t be beaten. Almost every restaurant serves an amazing, fresh and colorful cuisine. Over the years I’ve become friends with local chefs who have helped me to source hard to find ingredients.

Between guest trips I have the privilege to enjoy the breathtaking beaches, eat at beautiful restaurants and make local connections. People ask me a million questions about the yacht and the owners, which I’m not permitted to answer. So they start to ask about my food. When the timing is right and a nice kitchen is available, I sometimes prefer to cook then explain.

In this case I’ve literally just arrived on the island and caught up with my friend Kevin, who has been in yachting for several years himself. So I came up with the idea to do a simple BBQ at his amazing place. Only later I thought it would be cool to make a video, starting in my galley and then actually BBQing during sunset. But check it out for yourself 🙂

Chicken Satay

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Chicken leg, skinned, deboned and cut in 1 inch cubes

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• ½ red Onion or 3 Shallots, finely minced
• ¼ cup raw Peanuts, toasted and chopped
• ½ cup Coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon ground Turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Lime zest
• 1 Red Thai chili, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon Honey or Palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon Fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon Whiskey
• ½ teaspoon Salt

Peanut Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Red Thai Curry paste (from the Asian store)
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 ½ cups Coconut milk
• 1 cup raw peanuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh Lime juice

Directions:

• Place the ground coriander, cumin, onion, peanuts, coconut milk, turmeric, lime zest, chili, honey, fish sauce, whiskey and salt in a blender or tall container and blend until a smooth liquid marinade.
• Toss the chicken cubes with the marinade and chill for at least 2 hours, better overnight.
• Soak bamboo skewers in water (to prevent burning on a BBQ), and thread the chicken on it.
• BBQ on medium to high heat, turning every 5 minutes until cooked trough and crispy, about 20 – 25 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with the peanut sauce

• For the peanut sauce heat the oil in a small sauce pan and sauté the curry paste and sugar until fragrant. Pour in the thick part of the coconut milk and stir until the fat separates slightly. Pour in the rest and bring to a simmer

• Add the peanuts, soy sauce and lime juice. Season to taste and serve along with the Satay

Serves 4-5

Unfortunately it got to dark to show my side dishes that night. I made a rice salad with chopped pineapple, Corinth raisins, toasted almond slivers, scallions and curry vinaigrette. The space was a little limited so we just had a large bowl of greens as well. In which I added some diced tomatoes, blanched asparagus, orange segments, black sesame seeds and a honey miso dressing. I think it was the perfect combination that hot and humid Caribbean night.