Chicken with Lemon Grass Recipe

If you cannot get fresh lemon grass, this is one recipe where dried lemon grass will not do. Instead, use the finely peeled rind of a large lemon to get a close approximation of the original recipe.

Ingredients : Serves 4-6

1 small Roasting chicken (about 1kg)

3 or 4 stalks Lemon grass or rind of 1 large lemon

3 Spring onions

1 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Oil

2 Fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons Sugar

1/2 cup Roasted peanuts, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Fish sauce

Extra black pepper to taste

• Cut chicken into small serving pieces, chopping through the bones with a sharp cleaver.

• Remove outer leaves of the lemon grass and finely slice the tender white part at the base of the stalks.

• Bruise with mortar and pestle or handle of cleaver.

• Finely slice the spring onions, including the green leaves.

• Mix the chicken with the salt, pepper, lemon grass and spring onions, and set aside for 30 minutes.

• If lemon rind is used instead of lemon grass, shred the thinly peeled rind very finely with a sharp knife.

• Heat a wok, add oil and when oil is hot add the chicken mixture and stir fry for 3 minutes.

• Add chilies and stir fry on medium heat for a further 10 minutes or until chicken no longer looks pink.

• Season with sugar and pepper and add peanuts.

• Stir well. Add fish sauce and toss to distribute evenly.

• Then serve with rice or noodles.