I know with absolute certainty why this dish is a big-hitter on the School of Wok YouTube channel,” says chef Jeremy Pang.
“Like many Thai curries and stews, it’s bold in flavour, but it can be cooked in a fraction of the time it takes for some of the slower-cooked recipes.
“That means less time spent salivating over the stove and more time to eat. This fierce stir-fry will make your mouth water and your guests’ too – if you haven’t picked it all out of the wok before they arrive!”
Lemongrass chicken
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks
1 tbsp chicken stock or water
½ white or brown onion, finely sliced
2-3 lime leaves
Handful of Thai basil leaves
Vegetable oil
For the curry paste:
3 spring onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed, bruised and finely chopped
½ thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
½ thumb-sized piece of turmeric, peeledand finely chopped (swapsies: 1 tsp ground turmeric)
5-6 lime leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
For the sauce:
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
½ tbsp palm sugar
50ml chicken stock
Method:
1. Pound the paste ingredients together using a pestle and mortar, adding them one at a time, or blitz them in a food processor to form a smooth paste (you may need to add a tablespoon or so of water).
2. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl. Mix one tablespoon of the curry paste with the chicken stock or water and massage it into the chicken.
4. Build your wok clock: start at 12 o’clock with the marinated chicken, followed by the rest of the curry paste, the onion, the sauce, lime leaves and lastly the Thai basil leaves.
5. Heat one to two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok on a high heat until smoking hot. Add the marinated chicken and sear for a minute without moving, then fold the chicken over to sear on the other side for another minute or so. Once the chicken has a nice crisp edge and is fully browned, push it to the side of the wok. Add the curry paste to the centre of the wok, then the onion and fold the chicken over the mixture to incorporate and prevent the meat from burning. After about a minute, the onion should start to wilt. At this point, increase the heat and allow the wok to smoke before pouring the sauce around the edges of the wok. Bring to a vigorous boil, fold the chicken through and stir-fry for one to two minutes. Add the lime leaves and Thai basil leaves to finish and serve immediately.
‘Jeremy Pang’s School Of Wok: Simple Family Feasts’ (Hamlyn, £22).
