Chicken & turkey

Lemongrass Chicken

Name: Lemongrass Chicken
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 800g chicken thigh fillets, 2cm pieces; 3 stalks (45g) lemongrass, outer layers removed, very finely chopped; 4 (120g) shallots, sliced; 1 (150g) onion, cut into thin wedges; 250g green beans, 3cm lengths; 5 cloves (25g) garlic, finely chopped; 3 (30g) red chillies, sliced; 40ml fish sauce; 25g light brown sugar; 2g ground turmeric; 10g cornflour; 15ml lime juice; 15g fresh coriander, chopped; 20ml rapeseed oil; 250ml water

Chicken thighs and green beans in a sticky, savoury sauce of lemongrass, caramel, fish sauce, garlic and chilli.

makes 20 blocks, about 43p each

Jump to recipe

Illustration of a bowl of Lemongrass Chicken

Time: 50 min25 min prep · 25 min cook
Makes: 20 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 43p
Calories per blockCalories: 77 kcal
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

800gchicken thigh fillets, 2cm pieces
3 stalks (45g)lemongrass, outer layers removed, very finely chopped
4 (120g)shallots, sliced
1 (150g)onion, cut into thin wedges
250ggreen beans, 3cm lengths
5 cloves (25g)garlic, finely chopped
3 (30g)red chillies, sliced
40mlfish sauce
25glight brown sugar
2gground turmeric
10gcornflour
15mllime juice
15gfresh coriander, chopped
20mlrapeseed oil
250mlwater

Allergens: Fish. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	77 kcal	231 kcal
Protein	8.1g	24.3g
Carbs	4.5g	13.5g
Fat	3.2g	9.6g
Fibre	0.8g	2.4g
Salt	0.54g	1.62g

Method

Step 1: Toss the chicken with half the lemongrass, half the garlic, the turmeric and 15ml of the fish sauce. Leave for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest.
Step 2: Heat 15ml of the oil in a large, wide pan over a medium heat, add the sugar and stir until it melts into a deep amber caramel. (3 min)
Step 3: Carefully add the chicken (it will spit), turn up the heat and fry until coloured all over. (6 min)
Step 4: Push the chicken aside, add the rest of the oil, then fry the shallots, onion, chillies and the rest of the lemongrass and garlic for 3 minutes until fragrant.
Step 5: Add the green beans, the rest of the fish sauce and the water. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the beans are just tender.
Step 6: Stir in the cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water and bubble for 1 minute until glossy.
Step 7: Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and coriander, then cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Hotter: add 2 sliced bird's eye chillies with the shallots.

Serve it

Jasmine rice with sliced cucumber · Rice vermicelli with lettuce, mint and coriander · Steamed rice and stir-fried pak choi

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	77	8.1g	4.5g	3.2g	0.8g	0.54g
Per 3 blocks	231	24.3g	13.5g	9.6g	2.4g	1.62g

Cook’s notes

Lemongrass paste from a jar works in place of fresh: use about 1 tbsp for each stalk.
The caramel should be the colour of strong tea; if it goes past dark amber, it will taste bitter, so start again.
Sliced peppers or extra onion work in place of the green beans.

Serve it

Jasmine rice with sliced cucumber · Rice vermicelli with lettuce, mint and coriander · Steamed rice and stir-fried pak choi.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 231 kcal and 24.3g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Lemongrass Chicken questions

Why make a caramel first?

Cooked to a deep amber, the sugar adds a bittersweet edge and colour, which is how Vietnamese cooks balance the salty fish sauce. Take the pan off the heat if it starts to smoke, as burnt caramel makes the whole dish bitter.

How do I prepare lemongrass?

Trim the root end and the dry top, peel off the tough outer layers, then chop the pale inner stalk as finely as you can. Coarse pieces stay woody, so take your time or blitz it in a small food processor.

Can I make it with tofu?

Fry 2 × 280g packs of extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed, until golden in place of the chicken, and use soy sauce instead of the fish sauce. Simmer for just 5 minutes in step 5.