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.

Spicy Grilled Fish

Tuesday November 24, 2009
Hot off the grill
CULINARY QUERIES with AMY BEH

MY family is tired of eating steamed fish every day as my maid only knows one method of steaming. Can you please give me a recipe for another style of cooking fish that is tasty and healthy? – Maria Tung

Here’s an interesting way to cook fish.
Spicy Grilled Fish

600g shad (ikan terubuk)
1 tsp salt
2 stalks lemongrass
2-3 slices galangal
1 tbsp oil
1 piece banana leaf
1 sheet aluminium foil

Chilli dipping sauce (combined)
10 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
5 shallots, sliced
Juice of 2-3 limes
2 tbsp water
1 tsp sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Remove entrails from fish, and wash and clean it properly (do not scale). Rub the fish with salt.
Brush banana leaf with oil and arrange lemongrass and galangal on it. Place fish on the lemongrass and galangal. Wrap up the fish and place the parcel on top of the aluminium foil. Wrap again into a neat package and grill in a preheated oven at 220°C for 10 minutes each side.

Unwrap and serve fish with the chilli sauce.
I AM keen to roast chicken as I have just purchased an oven. Do you have a recipe that is fast and easy to cook? I have tried roasting one whole chicken and it failed because it took a long time and the chicken was not fully cooked. – Quek Sow Yin

For fast cooking and easier carving of your chicken, always go “flat” with the chicken. Place the chicken breast side down on a chopping board. Use a pair of kitchen shears and cut down either side of the backbone.

Remove and discard the backbone, then turn the chicken over. Use the palm of your hands to press firmly on the breastbone to open the chicken flat.

Wipe the skin and cavity with several pieces of paper towel, then rub seasoning over the chicken skin.

Peel the skin back from the breast and rub more seasoning mixture over the flesh of the chicken. Pull the skin back over. Wrap up the chicken and refrigerate for several hours.

To roast, place the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan. This will cook your chicken faster.

CAN you share with me a recipe for chicken or any other meat cooked in wine? I tasted a similar dish at a friend’s home when she had a full moon party. – Wendy Choo

Here’s the recipe as requested.

Drunken Chicken
1 free-range chicken, about 600-650g, chopped into 6 pieces
¼ cup sesame oil
350g mature ginger (preferably Bentong ginger), smashed
800ml good quality glutinous rice wine
300ml water
Salt to taste

Heat a wok until hot; dry-fry the smashed ginger for 10 seconds until fragrant. Add sesame oil to the wok and continue to fry the ginger until aromatic.

Put in chicken and fry for 1-2 minutes. Pour in wine gradually followed by water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and cook until chicken is tender. Season to taste. Serve the soup hot immediately.

Tom Yam Talay

Tom Yam Talay (Mixed Seafood Tom Yam)
Recipe by Amy Beh

Cuisine Thai • Recipes • Restaurants
Type of Dish Soups
Cooking Method Boil

Ingredients

8 freshwater prawns, shelled and deveined with tails intact or you can choose not to shell the prawns
150g sotong, cleaned and cut into pieces
2 blue crabs, cleaned and cut into halves
5 pieces red snapper fish meat
100g abalone mushrooms
6 cups chicken stock
20g galangal (lengkuas)
3 stalks lemon grass (serai)
12 cilipadi
3 roots Chinese parsley
4 tbsps chilli paste in oil (Nam Prik Pao)
6-8 kaffir lime leaves (daun limau purut)

Seasoning:
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1-2 tbsp fish sauce (nampla)
3-4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsps Maggi chicken stock granules
Monosodium glutamate to taste
Garnishing:
Chopped coriander leaves

Method
Smash the galangal and lemon grass slightly. Put them in a pot, add the cilipadi, parsley roots and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add nam prik pao and kaffir lime leaves. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Put in all the seafood ingredients and mushrooms and bring to a boil until the seafood is cooked. Add in seasoning to taste. Serve hot and garnish with coriander leaves.


johaRahman

Lemongrass and Citrus Poached Salmon

By: Chef Dave
"This is a very light and delicate dish with a smooth and subtle lemon and citrus flavor that melts in your mouth. Also serves well cold. Best if served with veggies and a good teriyaki sauce."
Prep Time:
15 Min
Cook Time:
10 Min
Ready In:
25 Min
Original Recipe Yield 10 servings

Ingredients
• 2 1/2 pounds salmon fillet
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 quart orange juice
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 cups chopped lemon grass
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
Directions
1. Remove skin from salmon, then cut into desired portions.
2. In a large pot, combine chicken stock, orange juice, white wine, onion, garlic and lemon grass. Season with salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to a low boil. Place the salmon in the poaching liquid until flaky and tender, about 5 minutes.

Thai Curry Soup

Thai Curry Soup

Prep Time:
15 Min


Cook Time:
35 Min
Ready In: 50 minutes

Original Recipe Yield 4 servings

Ingredients
• 2 ounces rice noodles (pad thai noodles)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced lemon grass
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste
• 1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can reduced-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rice noodles and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, lemon grass, and ginger; cook and stir until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste, and cook 30 seconds more. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, and stir until the curry paste has dissolved, then pour in the remaining chicken stock along with the soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Stir in coconut milk, shrimp, mushrooms, spinach, lime juice, and cilantro. Increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. To serve, place some rice noodles into each serving bowl and ladle soup on top of them. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of sliced green onion.

Recipe - lemon grass chicken

Fiery chilli and fragrant lemon grass combine in this classic Vietnamese chicken stir-fry. Steamed jasmine rice is the ideal accompaniment to the sweet and salty flavours.
Preparation Time
10 minutes
Cooking Time
10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 tbs peanut oil
600g single chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced
1 long fresh red chilli, thinly sliced diagonally
2 stems lemon grass, pale section only, finely chopped
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs caster sugar
3 shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
55g (1/3 cup) roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Steamed rice, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add one-third of the chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a large plate. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with the remaining chicken, reheating the wok between batches.
Add the chilli and lemon grass to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute or until aromatic.
Add the chicken, fish sauce, sugar and half the shallot to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute or until the chicken is heated through. Divide the chicken mixture among serving plates. Scatter the peanuts and remaining shallot over the chicken. Serve with steamed rice.

Recipe - Lemon grass turkey

Fall Recipes: Lemongrass Turkey by Jean-Georges Vongerichten
November 12, 5:04 PMDC Chef Recipes ExaminerLisa ShapiroPrevious Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe Subscribe


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Lemon Grass Turkey
Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Living by John KerrickLemon Grass Turkey by Jean-Georges Vongerichten of the W Hotel, Washington, DC

INGREDIENTS
For Lemongrass Rub

3 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
4 shallots, sliced
2 Thai chilies
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon nampla (fish sauce)
Directions for Rub

1. Blend all ingredients to a fine paste in a blender.

For Turkey

1 turkey 12-14 pounds
4 cups kosher salt or 2 cups table salt
3 onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
6 sprigs thyme
6 tablespoons melted butter
Directions for Turkey

1. Dissolve salt in 2 gallons of water. Add turkey and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
2. Rinse, dry and refrigerate, uncovered, for 8-24 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees .
4. Rub half of the lemongrass paste under the turkey skin. Rub the remaining paste all over the outside of the turkey. Season with
salt and pepper to taste.
5. Combine the chopped carrots, onion, celery and thyme with 1 tablespoon melted butter in a bowl. Stuff the turkey with 1/3 of the carrot mixture. Scatter remaining mixture in the roasting pan. Add 1 cup of water to the pan.
6. Brush the turkey breast and back with the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter. Place turkey on top of vegetables in the roasting pan, breast-side down. Bake for 45 minutes.
7. Turn the turkey on its side and baste with the pan juices. Add water to the pan if it is dry. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the turkey on its other side, baste, and roast for another 15 minutes.
8. Turn the turkey breast-side up, baste, and roast for 30-40 minutes until the internal temperature of the breast is 165 degrees and the leg is 170 degrees. Remove the turkey from the oven and cover it
loosely with foil. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.

For Stuffing

1 pound peeled, skinned chestnuts, cut in quarters
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 pound sourdough bread cut into 2-inch chunks
1 ounce sage, cut in ribbons
2 ounces minced shallots
Milk to moisten
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions for Stuffing

1.Add the chestnuts to a saucepan and use enough chicken stock to cover them. Cook the chestnuts
until tender, drain, and set aside.
2. Saute the shallots in 1 tablespoon of butter until they are soft. Set aside.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set the bowl over ice. Form 2 1/2-inch patties with the mixture.
4. When you are ready to serve, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in a non-stick pan. Fry the patties in batches until they are browned and cooked through. Add butter as needed