Marinade: Grilled Chicken With Lemongrass & Chilli

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1/4 cup lemongrass, see above
• 6 slices lemon zest, strips fresh (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced crushed
• 2-3 shallots, minced
• 2 red chilies, minced
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar (more or less, to taste)
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce (Vietnamese) or Tabasco sauce

Meat

• 1 kg chicken thigh fillet or beef or pork or shrimp or scallops or squid or fish fillet or vegetable

Directions

1. 1

   Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

2. 2

   To prepare the chicken, cut it 7 cm by 7 cms and cut several small incisions across the chicken to soak up the marinade.

3. 3

   Combine marinade and meat (or vegetables) then toss.

4. 4

   You can either place it in a zip lock bag or just use a bowl with cling wrap.

5. 5

   Refrigerate for about 2 hours, turning occasionally. (I marinated mine overnight).

6. 6

   Remove meat from the marinade and grill until cooked and brown. Discard leftover marinade (if there are any of the ingredients left on the meat or vegetables as it may taste bitter if you decide to leave them on).

7. 7

   Traditionally it's grilled on an outdoor grill so that the coals are white-hot but I used our barbeque.

8. 8

   Serve on a bed of lettuce with Vietnamese fish sauce to dip. Side dish of rice or salad.