Chicken Satay, Safety Rules, and My Warhol Process

Lehan Edirisinghe

I move between Bowie and kitchen logic here, thinking about Andy Warhol's process while I work out my own. Most of the day is me trying to make satay simple, cleaner, and safer, with chicken first, no fake abundance, and no sloppy health risks just because other people get away with them. It feels like a production diary where taste, control, and discipline matter more to me than showing off.

The image is a screenshot from a YouTube video titled "100,000 Sold Monthly! Amazing Satay Grilling Skill, Top-Secret Sauce Revealed - Malaysia Street Food." The video is hosted on the channel "So Yummie," which likely focuses on food content. In the foreground, several skewers of satay are being grilled, displaying a vibrant red hue with a slightly charred texture, indicative of a flavorful marinade and a well-managed grill. Flames and smoke rise around the satay, creating an appetizing and dynamic scene. The background is blurred, focusing attention on the sizzling skewers. The lighting is warm and bright, emphasizing the glossy and juicy appearance of the meat. The screenshot captures the essence of Malaysian street food culture, highlighting the skill involved in grilling satay and the allure of street-side culinary delights. The image also includes the "So Yummie" logo in the top right corner, reinforcing the branding.
- Title: "100,000 Sold Monthly! Amazing Satay Grilling Skill, Top-Secret Sauce Revealed - Malaysia Street Food"
- Channel / profile: "So Yummie"
- Site / app: "YouTube"

Using Chicken Thigh Meat and Higher-Quality Ingredients

We do it slightly more -- umm, sanitary, and more valuable, higher quality ingredients, and only go with chicken thigh meat as it's tender -- these looks very, very good

This image is a screenshot from a YouTube video titled "100,000 Sold Monthly! Amazing Satay Grilling Skill, Top-Secret Sauce Revealed - Malaysia Street Food" on the channel "So Yummie." The video appears to be focused on Malaysian street food, specifically satay. The scene shows a close-up of a piece of grilled meat, presumably satay, covered in a glossy, rich sauce. The meat is charred in places, indicating it has been grilled, and the sauce glistens under the lighting. The background features a blurred, striped pattern, possibly part of a dish or tablecloth. The subtitle at the bottom of the screen states, "You can request the meat doneness (ie: medium well etc)," suggesting that viewers can customize the cooking level of the satay. The YouTube interface elements are visible, including the title, channel name, and video controls, giving a sense of active media consumption.

Starting With Chicken Satay and Avoiding Seafood Risk

I am only doing chicken. My mom told me she is sad about beef, so we aren't doing beef satay unfortunately. But we can do mutton later. I am also trying to figure out how to do prawn satay for our people, but it is very dangerous, as it is seafood, which is very perishable, and needs to be handled quickly. I dunno. It's a bit of a health risk, and too much. I guess, in Singapore's Satay Street, they may be having and flaunting health code violations. But whatever. I am unwilling to do it the wrong way. I think that safety matters.

I

I am also doing squid and perhaps beef. But I want to keep it super simple.

So we will start with chicken satay.

It's the most traditional, and most basic, fundamental meat.

White meat too, so it's a little safer.

We will see.

***

I also, don't want to offer customers a choice. I wish to, and will insist, they get their meat cooked, well, or medium well at most. Because it is risky. I'm a very risk averse kind of guy.

Andy Warhol is featured in this video frame from a 1976 interview titled "Andy Warhol interview | Pets | Thames Television." The setting is indoors, possibly a studio or an interview room. Warhol is dressed in a formal dark brown suit, a white collared shirt, and a striped tie, reflecting the fashion of the era. He wears large, transparent glasses, and his iconic platinum blonde hair is styled in a neat, straight fashion. His expression appears serious and contemplative. The lighting is soft, casting gentle shadows on his face, which adds to the subdued atmosphere of the scene. The timestamp "TCR 01:07:58:17" is visible at the bottom of the frame, indicating the timecode in the video. The video is hosted on YouTube, under the channel "ThamesTV." The visual composition focuses on Warhol's upper body, capturing his thoughtful demeanor during the interview.

Describing Photograph, Paint and Screen Printing Steps

he takes the photograph

he then blows up the photograph

he paints on the photograph

he then "screens" over the photograph