Recipe for cooking chicken with lemon grass

Recipes from Southeast Asia :: Southeast Asian Main Dish Poultry

6 chicken thighs
1 stalk lemon grass or 3 thin strips lemon peel
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
3 Tbsp. canola (or other vegetable) oil
1 med. onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 scallions (with tops), cut into 1-in. pieces
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. finely chopped ginger root
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Hot cooked rice

Remove bones and skin from chicken thighs; cut chicken into 1-in. pieces. Bruise the stalk of lemon grass by hitting it with a mallet. Mix lemon grass and 1 Tbsp. fish sauce in glass or plastic bowl; stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Remove lemon grass stalk.

Heat oil in wok or 10-in. skillet until hot. Add sliced onion and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add chicken and scallions; stir-fry 5 mins. Reduce heat; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 mins. Mix vinegar and ginger root; reserve. Mix remaining ingredients except rice; stir into chicken mixture. Stir in reserved vinegar mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, about 1 minute.

Serve with rice.

Yields 4 servings.