RECIPE: VIETNAMESE CHICKEN LEMONGRASS

Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine, October 2007
“Simple, Tasty Vietnamese Cooking”
INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast/thigh, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 fresh lemongrass stalks, tender inner white bulbs only, minced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
3 chilies, seeded and minced
1 scallion for garnishing

METHOD:

In a bowl, combine the fish sauce, garlic, curry powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar. Add the chicken meat to coat.

In a small skillet, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of the water and cook over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cook without stirring until a deep amber caramel forms. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the lemongrass, shallot, and chilies and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the chicken and caramel and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened. Transfer to a bowl and top with the scallion. Serve with steamed white rice.

Recipe Chicken lemongrass

I would prefer to use fresh herb in my cooking. This is because the fresh herb will bring about the fragrance to the food, the processed sauces, although easy to use, it would have loss the natural oils and flavor in its drying process.

Ingredient:

1. 1 chicken, cleaned and cut to the right sizes

2. Blend these ingredients:

. 6 cm galangal

. 6 cm ginger

. 8 cloves garlic

. 12 shallots

. 2 cm turmeric

. 8 red chillies

. 4 candlenuts

. 1 teas spoon of black peppercorns

3. Other Ingredients

. 4 stalks of lemongrass

. 3 pieces of tamarind slices

. 3 cm of palm sugar

. salt

. 1 table spoon cooking oil

. 1 stick of cinnamon

. 3 cardamoms

. 3 cloves

. 1 star anise

. 3 cups of freshly squeezed coconut milk

THE PROCESS

Heat up the cooking oil in a pan. Add the dried spices and saute until you get the aroma. Add the lemongrass and tamarind slices. before pouring the blended items.

Season it with salt and cook until the oils surfaces to the top. Add the chicken and stir it until the chicken change color and become opaque.

Add the coconut milk and simmer until the chicken is cooked and the gravy thicken to your requirement. Serve it with hot rice.