Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls

Lemongrass is an important herb in Asian cooking.  It has a citrusy, aromatic smell and a bold, spicy flavor when raw, but the tones soften when cooked, resulting in a complex, floral, lemony taste. We use it here in a marinade for chicken. If you’ve never cooked with Fish sauce, please don’t be intimidated. It doesn’t taste fishy. It adds a depth of flavor and umami to the dish.

For more information about Lemongrass google “Lemongrass uses and benefits”. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1.2 - 1.6 lb skinless and boneless chicken thigh or breast (or pork, beef or any seafood)
• 1 stalk lemongrass , white part only, bruised them sliced into pieces easy to pick out later ( Please see Note 1)
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped or minced
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp fish sauce 
• 1 tbsp Coconut Aminos, or soy sauce 
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Avocado oil

• 1/4 cup fish sauce 
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 1 small chopped jalapeno, or ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp lime juice

• 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
• 7 oz vermicelli noodles, dried
• 2 carrots , julienned
• 2 cucumbers, julienned (optional: remove seeds)
• 5 cups lettuce, finely sliced
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• Handful of mint leaves
• Handful of cilantro
• Sliced jalapeno (for garnish - optional)
• Lime wedges (to serve - optional but recommended)

Method

1. Combine Chicken and Marinade ingredients and set aside for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
2. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat (or heat the BBQ). Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off large bits of lemongrass (small bits should fall off during cooking).
3. Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through - about 6 to 8 minutes in total.
4. Remove from pan, shaking off any remaining bits of visible lemongrass and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.

1. Combine the Nuoc Cham ingredients and mix well to dissolve the honey. Adjust to your taste (spiciness, lime, sweetness) and set aside for at least 20 minutes.

Assemble

Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes (or according to packet instructions), then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.

Individual servings: Place noodles in bowl. Top with vegetables and herbs, and sliced chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce (be generous, ~ 4 tbsp per serving) and serve with lime wedges.

DIY (my preferred way): Place chicken, vegetables, herbs, noodles and sauce in separate bowls / piled on platters. Then let everyone make their own bowls!

Please note:

For the Lemongrass - to prepare, peel the tough outer layers off to reveal the softer white part on the bottom ~1/3 of the lemongrass. Bruise using the back of the knife (see video). Don't slice too finely or finely chop, you want the pieces large enough so you can just brush them off (lemongrass is kind of tough, it has to be very finely chopped / cooked for a long time to eat).