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Method

1. To make the satay spice paste, put all the ingredients into a blender and blend to a fine purée. If using a smaller food processor or handheld stick blender, you will have to work in batches, combining the batches once they’re done. Always mix lemongrass with some onion when blending – blitzing lemongrass by itself can be very hard work and you will be left with undesirable, hard fibrous strands. Set aside.

2. To make the peanut sauce, tip the peanuts into a food processor and, using the pulse action, grind until you get a rough, sandy texture. Add the ground peanuts and the remaining sauce ingredients along with 50ml/2fl oz water to a medium-sized saucepan. Set over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring frequently to prevent the sauce at the bottom of the pan from burning. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set aside.

3. To make the cucumber pickle, put 350ml/12fl oz water, the star anise, ginger, sugar, vinegar and salt into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat. Remove the ginger and star anise from the pickling liquid.

4. Cut the cucumbers in half straight through the middle, then halve again lengthways. Use a spoon to deseed them and finely slice so that you end up with crescent moon shapes, ideally no thicker than 5mm/¼in. Cut the red onion into eighths, then slice them so that you also end up with crescent moon shapes of the same thickness.

5. Mix the cucumber and red onion thoroughly in a large bowl before decanting into a storage container. Pour the pickling liquid over the prepared vegetables and leave overnight at least, before draining thoroughly.

6. To make the tomato sambal, put the chillies, garlic and oil into a bowl. Blend using a hand-held blender to a fine purée. Heat the oil in a small non-stick saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chilli garlic purée and stir-fry for 8 minutes. Add the tomato purée, salt, sugar and 80ml/2½fl oz water. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

7. Once cool, decant into a clean glass jar to store.

8. To make the patties, mix the chicken mince thoroughly with the satay spice paste and egg in a large container using a gloved hand. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

9. Place a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, adding just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Using a large ice-cream scoop, scoop out two balls of the chicken mix into the pan and flatten into patties using a flat spatula. Pan-fry the patties on both sides for around 8 minutes in total, flipping every couple of minutes.

10. To assemble the burger, cut the buns in half and toast cut-side down. Add enough peanut sauce to cover the base of the bun, then a cooked chicken patty, 2 tablespoons cucumber pickles, 1 tablespoon tomato sambal (or more, to taste) and the bun top, to finish. Serve with chips, if you like.