Speedy weeknight meals: Thai-style chicken satay

Learning to cook changed Jon Watts’ life.

At 18, he was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in a young offenders institute – and when he was there, he learned to cook as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

“Learning to cook in prison meant that I had a skill that could be used in the outside world. It gave me a sense of purpose, and most importantly a belief in myself,” Watts, now 35, says.

“Imagine being lost and confused at a set of crossroads, and someone just giving you a gentle nudge towards the right road. That’s how gaining that qualification felt.”

He started working in one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants while on day release, adding: “That’s where I fell in love with cooking.

“By the time I was actually released, I had been working there for 10 months, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else by that point. I loved the adrenaline-fuelled environment and the passion of the people around me. I also loved how every day I was learning something new, and always getting better than I was the day before.”

Watts ended up working in Oliver’s restaurants for five years, before opening his own food truck – then going on to create more opportunities for himself, such as cooking on ITV’s This Morning.

He now has 840k followers on Instagram and 672.5k on TikTok, and he has just released his latest cookbook, Speedy Weeknight Meals.

“Cooking brings me the greatest joy,” he says simply – and if Watts was to name one signature dish, it would have to be this recipe for Thai-style chicken satay.”

Thai-style chicken satay
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

300g smooth peanut butter

200g Thai red curry paste

4 tbsp soy sauce

400ml can of coconut milk

1kg skinless boneless chicken thighs

2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

25g coriander, chopped (optional)

Salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Put the peanut butter in a bowl with the curry paste, soy sauce and 50ml of the coconut milk. Beat until smooth.

2. Transfer two-thirds of the peanut butter mixture to a saucepan, add the remaining coconut milk and mix well.