Chicken Satay

1. To make the sauce: Put the oil in a medium saucepan and set over high heat. When the oil is very hot and almost smoking, add the curry paste and sugar and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the peanuts and soy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

2. To make the marinade: Put the coriander and cumin seeds in a small skillet set over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from the heat, cool completely, and grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder.

3. Put the shallots, peanuts, ground coriander and cumin in a blender. Blend until the mixture becomes a paste. Add the coconut milk, turmeric, sweetened condensed milk, palm sugar, nam pla, whiskey, and salt. Blend again until smooth and set the marinade aside in a shallow plate.

4. Thread the chicken cubes onto the skewers, leaving 3 inches at the end. Dip and roll each skewer in the marinade and let sit while you start a charcoal or gas grill or broiler; the fire should be medium-hot, and the grill rack should be about 4 inches from the heat source. (You can also cover the meat and refrigerate it for up to a day.) Season the skewers with salt and pepper and grill or broil for 5 minutes per side, or until lightly browned all over and cooked through. Serve immediately with the peanut sauce.