Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe

It takes time to finely chop the lemongrass for this Vietnamese chicken dish, but the incredible fragrance and pleasant texture is worth the effort.

Lemongrass is used in a lot of Vietnamese cooking, but this recipe is one of the most popular dishes that calls for it. In Vietnam, lemongrass is used in two different ways. It is used as an aromatic, cut into large pieces and smashed for simmering in soups, curries and stews, like bay leaves. It is also chopped so finely that it looks like granulated sugar and then added to dishes where it contributes an incredible fragrance and a pleasant texture that cannot be achieved by throwing the stalks into a food processor. Chopping lemongrass by hand to the proper consistency takes time, but if you're patient, you'll end up with a beautiful finished product.

(Serves 3 or 4 as a part of a multicourse meal)

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp chicken stock or water

Pinch of sugar

60ml rapeseed oil

450g skinless, boneless chicken, a mix of breast and thigh meat, cut into 2.5cm cubes

110g red onion, thinly sliced

2 tsp garlic, finely chopped

20g lemongrass, finely minced

1 red or green jalapeño chilli, thinly sliced on the diagonal into rings

2 tbsp rice wine

1 tbsp roasted chilli paste

2 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm pieces

1 tbsp roasted peanuts, finely chopped, to garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, stock and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Heat a wok over a high heat until hot; the metal will have a matt appearance and a drop or two of water flicked on to its surface should evaporate on contact. Add the oil and heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned on all sides.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the oil from the wok (leave the chicken in the wok) and return the pan to a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, just until softened. Add the garlic, lemongrass and jalapeño chilli and cook for 30 seconds longer. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to dislodge any browned bits.

Add the fish sauce mixture, chilli paste and spring onions to the pan and continue cooking for 1 minute more, until the spring onions have softened slightly and the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the peanuts. Serve immediately.

• Vietnamese food and drink
• Main course
• Meat
• Food & drink