Lemongrass Chicken & Steamed Rice

This was the first Vietnamese dish that I ever tasted some almost 16 years ago when my Vietnamese friend cooked this dish for me.  She used chicken nibbles at the time, but I personally prefer to use chicken breast.  Since that time, it has evolved to become one of my favourite Vietnamese dish that I can eat any season, anytime, any day!  I love the flavour and pungent smell of lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce and the taste is even more enhanced when you dip the chicken into the special dipping sauce.

Serves:  4

Preparation Time: 10  minutes + 30minutes to marinate

Cooking Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:
4-5 chicken schnitzel or 2 chicken breasts, slices into half

2-3 lemongrass stalks (white part only), chopped

2 Cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp Fish sauce

2 tsp Brown sugar

Standard flour

2 Egg, lightly beaten

Flaky sea salt to taste

Dipping sauce:
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp Fish sauce
1 Lime, squeeze juice
1 tsp sugar
Chili and garlic, chopped

Garnish:
Butterhead lettuce, shredded
Cucumber, sliced
Coriander
Cooked Jasmine Rice

Method:

1. Tenderize the chicken schnitzel or chicken breasts with the back of the knife.
2. Place lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce and brown sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Place the chicken in the bowl and marinate it for 30 minutes in the fridge, covered.
3. In the meantime, combine water, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chilli and garlic in a small ramekin and set aside.
4. Place a large frying pan on medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Take the chicken from the fridge, dust with flour, coat with the egg and pan fry. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top and cook for couple of minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook for 2 more minutes on the other side (no need to season this time) or until cooked though.
5. Cut into strips and serve with jasmine rice, lettuce, slice/s of cucumber and dipping sauce.

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