Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus with recipes! (Forwarded)

[Guest guest]

Hey Herbies!

 

 

 

Here is a little information about lemongrass which is one of my all

time favorite culinary herbs.

 

 

 

Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus: (sim-bo-PO-gon si-TRA-tus) Family:

Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grass) – Zones 8 - 10

 

 

 

It is a frost tender perennial that can withstand temperatures of 10° to

20° with very heavy mulching, and it can be grown in the ground or in

containers. In fact, it makes for a very good container plant. Plant

it in full sun with excellent drainage. It can be cut back during early

winter, but be sure to mulch heavily. It is thought to be native to

India/Tropical Asia. It is a clumping fountain grass which grows to 3’

to 5’. They say flowering is rare, but I know that all of mine flower

every year. It likes moist, well-drained soil and prefers full sun, but

it can take some dapple sunlight. The blades are sharp so be careful,

and always rub upward and not downward.

 

 

 

Culinary: The leaves can be used to make a tea, but it is probably too

much work to try to get enough to get much flavor. However, if you

want, please make all the tea with the leaves that you want. I should

say that it's just too much work for me, I guess. More often the part

of the plant that is used is the lower, almost white section of the

stem. Depending on the recipe you can cut the white part into 2” to 3”

stems, thinly slice crosswise, finely chop, pound or mince. Tie

together a bunch of lemongrass with butcher's string, and drop it into a

slow-cooking dish and remove just before serving for a lemon flavor.

Whenever you are using the larger pieces, be sure to discard them before

serving because they are fibrous and tough. It is also very good minced

and added to rice, making a nice dish of lemongrass rice. And like I

said, it makes for a wonderful tea being high in Vitamin C. It is used

extensively in SE Asian dishes and is great for any dish that you want

to have a lemon flavor. It can be used in stir fries, rice, sauces,

curries, fish, seafood, soups, and tea. And it can be frozen for later

use.

 

 

 

I grow lemongrass here in south Texas as a year-round clump of " grass " .

Lots of people grow pampas grass and other ornamental grasses for

landscaping, but I like lemongrass the best because it looks good, and

it is a culinary herb. Mine grow to about 5' and put out flowers every

year. I have a large yard, and I have two planted up against the fence.

I also have several growing in pots in my greenhouse. They make nice

presents for my " herbie friends " !

 

 

 

Here are some recipes that I have picked up " here and there " . I just

can't remember where " here and there " came from.

 

 

 

TOM KA GAI

(Chicken coconut soup)

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth

3 to 4 thin slices galangal root (some recipes substitute ginger, but

others say absolutely do not substitute)

3 kefir (kaffir) lime leaves

1 stalk lemongrass, lower portion cut into 1-inch lengths and crushed

6 straw mushrooms

4 ounces chopped chicken

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons lime juice

Cilantro

Ground chili powder (optional)

In saucepan, combine coconut milk, chicken broth, galangal, kefir lime

leaves, lemongrass and straw mushrooms and heat over medium until

boiling. Add chicken; simmer about 2 minutes, or until chicken is

cooked. Mix in sugar, salt and lime juice. Garnish with cilantro. If

desired, add ground chili powder to achieve desired spiciness. Makes 2

servings.

 

 

 

THAI TURKEY SAUSAGE

From Sunset

Perfect for campouts, you can cook up a big batch of patties at home and

freeze. Heat them in camp for a great breakfast with eggs or hash-browns

(Wilderness Cuisine author Carole Latimer uses sweet potatoes),

tangerine juice, and papaya wedges.

Notes: It's easiest to mince lemon grass in a food processor or

minichopper. For best texture, mince the remaining ingredients with a

knife.

1 pound ground turkey

1/4 pound green beans, ends and strings removed, minced

8 green onions, ends trimmed, minced

1 stalk (5 to 8 in.) fresh lemon grass, tough outer layers, stem end,

and coarse leaves removed, minced

3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

2 to 3 teaspoons fresh serrano chilies (2 or 3), stemmed, seeded, and

finely minced

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon sugar

About 2 tablespoons olive oil

1. At home: Mix turkey well with beans, onions, lemon grass, cilantro,

chilies (lesser amount for mildest flavor), fish sauce, egg, cornstarch,

and sugar. Divide into 16 equal portions and shape into 16 patties, each

1/2 inch thick.

2. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high

heat. When hot, add a few patties, without crowding. Cook until brown on

each side and no longer pink in center (cut to test), about 7 minutes

total. Remove as cooked and drain on paper towels; add more patties to

pan.

3. When patties are cool, freeze in a single layer in a metal pan until

hard, then seal airtight in plastic freezer bags. Transport in an

insulated chest.

4. In camp: Place frozen patties in a 9- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan

over low heat, cover, and cook until warm, 3 to 5 minutes; turn at least

once.

Nutritional analysis per patty.

Yield: Makes 16 patties; 8 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING

CALORIES 73(53% from fat); FAT 4.3g(sat 0.9g); PROTEIN 5.9g; CHOLESTEROL

34mg; SODIUM 107mg; FIBER 0.3g; CARBOHYDRATE 2.4g

 

 

 

HOT AND SOUR SOUP

6-1/2 cups chicken stock

1 heaping tablespoon tom yam hot and sour paste

4 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (optional)

1 stick lemongrass, tender inner part only, roughly chopped

juice of 1 lime

4 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)

2-3 small jalapenos or fresh red or green chilies, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons straw or button mushrooms, halved or

quartered according to size

1 pound 2 ounces peeled raw shrimp, thawed if frozen

5 small scallions, cut into short lengths and then into strips

small bunch cilantro, chopped

Heat the stock and tom yam paste in a decent-sized saucepan with the

lime leaves, lemongrass, lime juice, fish sauce, chilies and sugar.

Bring to a boil, add the mushrooms and simmer for a couple of minutes,

then add the shrimp and scallions and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or

until the shrimp are cooked but still tender. Sprinkle with a little

cilantro and put more on the table for people to add themselves as they

want.

Serves 4-6.

 

 

 

LEMONGRASS CHICKEN (2)

1kg whole chicken

1 1/4 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

6-8 lemongrass leaves, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon corn flour

milk

Place the chicken on a saucer in a saucepan. Add the water, sprinkle

salt and pepper over and heap the lemongrass onto the breast. Cover and

bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, basting

occasionally with the liquid. To eat hot, remove chicken and keep warm.

Strain the liquid into a small saucepan and stir in a tablespoon corn

flour blended to a smooth paste with a little milk. Stir until thickened

and pour over the chicken. To eat the chicken cold, put it into a deep

bowl and pour the strained liquid over it. Cool, and then chill

overnight. The liquid will have jelled and there will be a layer of fat

which should be removed.

 

 

 

LEMONGRASS COCONUT SORBET

10 stalks lemongrass

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup coconut milk (stir before measuring)

Peel the tough outer layers from the lemongrass and discard them. Cut

the remainder into 1cm lengths. In a saucepan over high heat, combine

lemongrass, sugar, salt and 2 ½ cups water. Stir until liquid comes to

the boil. Reduce heat, simmer, stirring occasionally, until light

golden, about 20 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer, pressing on the

solids to extract moisture. Discard solids. Place the bowl in a larger

bowl of ice water and stir syrup until cool, about 5 minutes. Stir in

lemon juice. Whisk in the coconut milk. If mixture is lumpy, pour

through a fine strainer. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze. Or

freeze in a suitable dish until just firm, 2-4 hours. Scoop into bowls,

or scrape with a large form to form a slushy ice. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

TOMATO LEMONGRASS SALSA

2 stalks lemongrass

2 green or red chills, finely chopped

1 large tomato, coarsely diced

1 small red onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

salt

Combine all ingredients and let sit at room temperature for about one

hour, then refrigerate. Use within one day.

 

 

 

LEMONGRASS SYLLABUB

4 stems lemongrass, chopped finely

20g chopped fresh ginger

120g castor sugar

200ml water

300ml thickened cream

1 tablespoon brandy

2 tablespoons lime juice

Place the lemongrass, ginger, castor sugar and water in a saucepan, stir

over heat until sugar has dissolved. Boil for 10 minutes, then leave to

cool. Strain. May be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Delicious

spooned over ice cream. To make the syllabub, add the syrup, brandy, and

lime juice to the cream and whisk together until soft peaks form. Serve

in glass dishes with a few gratings of lime zest if desired.

The syllabub can also be used as a filling for Pavlova. Fill a pavlova

case with the syllabub, sprinkle over some cubed mango. Sweeten some

passion fruit pulp with a little sugar, and then drizzle over the mango.

 

 

 

 

KAFFIR LIME AND CHICKEN STIRFRY

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste

3-4 Kaffir lime leaves

3-4 chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup coconut cream

1-2 tablespoons fish sauce

juice of 1 lime

1 cup chopped pineapple

chopped coriander or parsley to garnish

Fry onions until lightly browned, remove from pan. Stir-fry curry paste

and Kaffir lime leaves together over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add

chicken, fry for 1-2 minutes. Add coconut cream, fish sauce, lime juice

and onions. Add enough water to barely cover the mixture, simmer for

about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add pineapple; simmer

a further 2-3 minutes. Serve on a bed of boiled rice and garnish with

coriander.

 

 

 

KAFFIR LIME AND GINGER MELON SALAD

1/2 red pawpaw

1/2 honeydew melon

1/2 yellow rockmelon

3 fresh kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup castor sugar

2 tablespoons julienned fresh ginger

juice of one lime

6 kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn

Greek yoghurt to serve.

Combine water, sugar, ginger and lime leaves in a saucepan, heat and

stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer

for about 10 minutes. Remove leaves, set aside to cool. Peel and slice

melons into wedges of the same size. Place in a serving bowl and drizzle

the syrup over the fruit. Garnish with shredded kaffir leaves and serve

with chilled yoghurt.

 

 

 

THAI CHICKEN AND LEMONGRASS SOUP

From the Frugal Gourmet

6 cups chicken stock

4 slices dried galangal root

1 slice fresh ginger, the size of a quarter

2 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced

3 shallots, peeled and sliced

7 dried kaffir lime leaves

3 stalks lemongrass, peeled and the bottom 5 inches chopped

1 tsp Thai red curry paste

1 tbls sugar

1 14 oz. can coconut milk

3 tbls Thai fish sauce

3/4 lb. thinly sliced skinless and boneless chicken breasts

2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 tbls freshly squeezed lime juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh coriander for garnish.

Place chicken stock in 6 quart kettle and add the galangal root, ginger,

garlic, shallots, lime leaves, lemongrass and red curry paste. Bring to

a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the stock and discard the

solids.

Return the stock to the pot, add the sugar, coconut milk and fish sauce

and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer again. Cook

for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except garnish and bring to

serving temperature. Garnish with fresh coriander if you wish.

Note: many Thai cooks prefer to leave the solids in the soup stock and

do not drain it at all. This gives a bit brighter flavor, if you wish.

 

 

 

Linda T. Collins

 

<http://www.rockportherbs.com> www.rockportherbs.com

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much!

 

I love the taste of South East Asian cooking.

" Rijsttafel " , a Dutch word for a feast with

a gazillion yummy dainty side dishes to eat

with steamed rice, is my absolute fave food

in the world. Lemon grass is one essential

flavor for it. You can now buy it the grocery

store, even here in the boondocks, but I never

knew how to use it.

 

Will save this post and get some asap!

 

In friendship

 

Ien in the Kootenays

http://freegreenliving.com