Vietnamese - lemongrass chicken

Yield: 4 Servings - J

Ingredients:

3 lb Frying chicken
1/2 c Lemongrass about 4 stalks - minced **
3 Scallion; all of them
2 tb Peanut oil
2 Red chile peppers; chopped
2 ts Sugar
1/2 c Chicken stock; fresh / can'd
1/4 ts Black pepper; freshly ground
1 ts Salt MMMMM--------------------------GARNISH-------------------------------
1/2 c Dry-roasted peanuts; chopped
2 tb Nuoc Mam **

Instructions:

Coriander leaves; chopped Hack the chicken into small serving pieces chopping through the bones with a very sharp cleaver. Remove the outer leaves of the lemongrass and finely slice the tender white part at the base of the stalks. Bruise with a mortar and pestle or the handle of a cleaver. Finely slice the scallions including the green tops. Mix the chicken with the salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper the lemongrass and scallions and set aside for 30 minutes. Heat a wok and add the oil and when the oil is hot add the chicken mixture and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add chile peppers and stir-fry on medium heat for 10 minutes or until chicken no longer looks pink. Season with sugar and pepper and add the chicken stock. Stir for a few minutes. Garnish with the peanuts nuoc mam and coriander. Serve with rice if desired. This quickly prepared but terrifically flavorful dish is great served with rice paper wrappers. I love it with a few leaves of mint and basil. This is one you must try. It is easily done in a wok. By Jeff Smith The Frugal Gourmet From the 02/05/1992 issue of The Springfield Union-News Meal-Mastered by Joe Comiskey 09/05/1992