Chicken breasts with spicy peanut sauce

I grew up with steamed white rice with most meals, so after I moved out, I'm sure I went a little crazy in ardently avoiding white rice to indulge in the other starch options available (e.g. risotto, potatoes, etc.). When I came across this recipe, however, it was naturally suited for being served with white rice. I've always loved peanut sauces, such as the one typically served with satay, so I was eager to try this dish. Plus, coming from the Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook, it meant it was super simple and easy to do on a week night.

Recipe

from Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh CookbookServes 22 boneless chicken breasts halves with skin3 tbsp soy sauce, divided1 tbsp vegetable oil2-1/2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger, divided6 tbsp chunky peanut butter1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth1 tbsp packed golden brown sugar1 tsp chili-garlic pastePlace chicken in small baking pan. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, oil and 1 tsp ginger. Turn chicken several times to coat. Let stand 20 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 450 F. Roast chicken until just cooked through, about 15 minutes.Meanwhile, combine peanut butter, broth, sugar, chili-garlic paste, remaining 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1-1/2 tsp ginger in heavy small saucepan. Simmer until smooth and slightly thickened, whisking frequently, about 2 minutes. Arrange chicken on plates and spoon sauce over top.

Musings

It was, in a word, delicious. I was worried that it would taste just like straight up peanut butter, but the chili-garlic sauce and ginger leant a nice complexity to the sauce. It was tangy and sweet, and the chunky peanut butter added a great crunch. The chicken was well done, in the sense of being moist and flavourful (not well done with respect to dryness). David also elaborated on the traditional white rice by adding in a bit of salt, pepper, butter ('cause he couldn't resist) and red pepper flakes to the water in which it was boiled, but it made for a fabulous, interesting accompaniment. David noted he could do with a bit of a stronger kick, which could come from chopping some chilis and adding it to the marinade or the sauce. A nice and easy dish to add to our repertoire!