Cooking with Lemongrass

Edible Herb Adds Flavor to Thai and Vietnamese Cuisine

Feb 17, 2009 Michael Vyskocil

Find out how to prepare and serve lemongrass, a popular ingredient in Southeast Asian fare.

Q: Lemongrass is a bit confusing. Are the leaves edible or do you have to remove them before serving?

A: An edible herb native to Malaysia, lemongrass grows in clumps to a height of about three feet and is commonly sold fresh, dried or pickled. To uncover the edible part of the herb, pull off the outer leaves to expose the tender white-purplish center. You can save the outer leaves and use them whole to flavor stocks, soups, fish or poultry. Be sure, however, to remove them before serving. Lemongrass is a signature ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. It complements a variety of dishes containing ginger, chiles, coconut, garlic, shallots and green pepper.

RECIPES

Vietnamese Seafood Soup

Serves 8

You can use any type of seafood in this sweet-and-spicy soup.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless salmon, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 pound bay scallops, muscles removed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 6 cups Homemade Chicken Stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 scallions, white and light-green parts only, cut diagonally 1/4 inch thick
• 1 cup fresh mung-bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons Fried Onions (optional, recipe follows), for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the salmon in the boiling water for about 20 to 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the salmon from the water and drain it in a colander. Blanch the scallops in the boiling water for about 20 seconds; drain.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a small stockpot over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook until the ginger and garlic become fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the chicken stock; cover and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the salmon, scallops, tomatoes, pineapple, tomatoes, pineapple, red onion, soy sauce, sugar, salt and lime juice. Cook until the seafood is just cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the scallions, mung-bean sprouts, basil and parsley. Divide the soup among eight soup bowls, garnish with Fried Onions if desired and serve immediately.

Fried Onions

Makes 2/3 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Spread the onion slices on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet; let dry for 20 to 25 minutes.
2. In a small, nonstick, heavy skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat until the oil is so hot that an onion slice dropped in the pan bubbles and floats to the surface. Stir in all the onion slices; fry until golden, stirring often, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain the onion slices on paper towels.

Vietnamese Fish Soup with Crabmeat, Lemongrass and Chinese Mushrooms

Serves 10 to 12

To save time, you can purchase good-quality fish stock from reputable fishmongers. Or, if using fresh fish, have your fishmonger remove the gills and any remaining blood from the heads, cut the bones to fit into a 12-quart stockpot and wash the bones well.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 leeks, white and light-green parts only, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 stalks fresh lemongrass
• 6 pounds heads and bones of nonoily white fish, such as black bass, halibut, white snapper, or grouper
• 1 cup white wine
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 5 sprigs fresh basil leaves
• 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more leaves for garnish
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 5 whole white peppercorns
• 3 quarts water
• 2 pounds jumbo lump or backfin crabmeat, shells removed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 ounces Chinese mushrooms, trimmed to 1-inch lengths
• Coarse salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the onion, leeks, carrots and celery in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the vegetables are chopped into medium fine pieces. In a 12-quart stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables become tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Cut 7 stalks of lemongrass in half lengthwise; set aside. Remove and discard the tough outer layers of the remaining 5 stalks; cut the stalks crosswise into very thin slices and set aside.
3. Add the fish heads and bones to the stockpot. Raise the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the white wine, ginger, 7 reserved lemongrass stalks, basil, cilantro, black and white peppercorns and 3 quarts water. Reduce the heat to low, skim off any foam that rises to the surface and let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the stockpot from the heat; let rest for 15 minutes. Pour the soup mixture through a sieve lined with a double layer of damp cheesecloth; discard the solids. Skim off any remaining fat from the soup mixture.
4. Return the fish stock to a clean stockpot. Add the crabmeat, reserved lemongrass slices and mushrooms. Season to taste with coarse salt. Bring the stock to a boil over medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes. Ladle the soup into individual soup bowls; garnish with parsley leaves.

The copyright of the article Cooking with Lemongrass in Recipes is owned by Michael Vyskocil. Permission to republish Cooking with Lemongrass in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Lemongrass

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