Stir-Fried Chicken with Lemon grass, Coriander, Lime Leaves and Chinese Wine

 When concocting this particular recipe, I was having a recipe blockage. I stared into my fridge and found left over lemon grass, some lime leaves and freshly bought coriander. I did not want a heavily thick based soy sauce so I dug out my Chinese rice wine and I must say it turned out delicious.

So what went into the dish?

Ingredients:
2 whole chicken thighs - chopped into bite sized pieces then marinaded with 3 tbsps Chinese wine and 1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic - julienned
1 thumb sized ginger - skinned and julienned
2 stalks lemon grass - julienned
5 - 6 lime leaves
5 - 6 stalks of coriander - finely chopped
2 medium sized green chillies - julienned
2 medium sized dried chillies
Additional 4 tbsp Chinese wine
2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 cup of water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Firstly prepare your chicken and make sure to marinade it for a couple of minutes.
2. Next heat up your pot and a deep enough pan with some cooking oil and throw in the garlic and ginger. Add a little salt here. Stir fry till fragrant before adding in green chillies and lemon grass. When cooking, the fragrant aroma of lemon grass will surface.
3. Then add in marinated chicken with the juices in the pot. Turn the chicken to make sure it is coated with the garlic, ginger, lemon grass and green chili mixture. Add the cup of water and additional Chinese wine before letting it come to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
4. Then add in the oyster sauce and dried chillies and stir to mix before letting it simmer again. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Before dishing it, add in coriander and stir. 
5. Remove from heat and serve with piping hot rice and stir fried vegetables.

This recipe dispels the notion of lemon grass only being used in curries or in sauces. give it a try and tell me how it tastes! For those who don't like coriander, you can easily take it out. Alternatively replace it with flat leaf parsley. 

Next attempt: Thai Fish Cakes....

The Innovative Baker