2013 Smack Down - Vietnamese Lemon Grass Chicken Wraps (Erin and Rob)

Lemongrass Chicken
From Howie Chan and Alison Markowitz-Chan
Makes 6 servings

This was also early enough in the night that Erin Fuller was still taking photos!



Ingredients:
1.5 pounds boned chicken thighs

Marinade:
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 shallots, trimmed and peeled
1 stalk lemon grass, tough outer husks removed, ends trimmed, cut into 1.5 inch lengths
2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
1.5 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil (or other light flavor oil)

Vietnamese dressing:
1 teaspoon crushed dried red chilies or dried chili flakes
juice of 5 limes
1.5 tablespoons minced garlic
.25 cup sugar
5 tablespoons fish sauce, or to taste

for wraps:
lettuce leaves, sturdy but flexible (we like butter lettuce)
vermicelli rice noodles
carrots
mint
lime
coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts

Scallion Ginger Soup

I came across this incredible broth recipe in the recent issue of Everyday Food and it reinforced my love for Martha Stewart!

Update: Made it again with diced chicken, asparagus, mushrooms, green onions and rice noodles = AWESOME! And took pictures :)

Scallion Ginger Broth
modified from Everyday Food, March 2010
makes 4 cups (2 servings for us)

1 teaspoon oil
4 scallions, white parts halves lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces, green parts thinly sliced for garnish
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into match sticks
1 garlic clove, cut into match sticks
4 cups broth (we used chicken, but you could easily use vegetable broth too)
1 Tablespoon fish sauce

Stir ins*
1 to 2 ounces rice noodles
1 Tablespoon oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 pound shrimp**
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add scallion whites, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until scallions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add broth and fish sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until flavors are blended, at least 5 minutes. Cook shrimp while broth is simmering.

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium- high heat. Add shrimp, garlic and ginger and saute approximately 3 minutes, until the shrimp is nearly cooked through and has turned slightly pink. Add soy sauce and cook for 1 minute more, until soy sauce has reduce to a glaze. Remove pan from heat and add sesame oil and cilantro. Divide the shrimp mixture amongst the serving bowls and set aside.

Add rice noodles to the broth and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Ladle the soup into the bowls, on top of the shrimp mixture. Squeeze or drizzle lemon or lime juice into the bowl. Garnish with remaining scallions.

Notes:
*This broth was amazingly simple and fresh tasting with a nice bit of spice. You could all a whole myriad of stir ins during the simmering phase of cooking. Suggestions (from both Everyday Food and myself) include: carrots, mushrooms, tofu, thinly sliced beef or pork, shredded chicken, udon noodles, bean sprouts, broccoli. The list could really go on and on!

**We cooked a whole pound of shrimp because that was the size of our defrosting package. You could get away with 1/2 pound for 2 people, or double the broth and serve 4.