Recipe: Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

(Click on the image above to view the complete photoset of 4 pictures) I told you about clearing out my fridge in my last post, so this is the second installment where I used the leftover lemongrass, shallots, and chicken breasts as the main ingredients. I found the recipe on a recent copy of Food & Wine magazine--an article about Vietnamese recipes. I believe this is not the most authentic lemongrass chicken recipe around, but it worked out really well and I enjoyed it, especially the caramelized sweet taste of this dish... I am not going to write a lengthy post because of some last-minute shopping that I have to do, but I shall leave you with this wonderful recipe of Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken. Enjoy! Other Vietnamese recipes on Rasa Malaysia: Vietnamese Tau Hu Ky or bean curd skin with shrimp Vietnamese Cha Tom or Hue shrimp patties Related Recipe: Fried Shrimp/Prawn Balls with Wonton Skin (炸虾球) Recipe: Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken 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.