Ga Xao Xa Ot Spicy Lemongrass Chicken
Ga xao xa ot (spicy lemongrass chicken) combines what a friend calls the holy trinity of Asian spices…lemongrass, chiles, and garlic. Marry these ingredients together and your kitchen will be infused with such an enticing aroma, your passer by neighbors might invite themselves over for dinner. Chicken is the perfect vehicle for these fragrant spices and makes this common dish a staple on the Vietnamese table. But make sure you use dark meat for this dish. Breast meat has a tendency to dry out–so be extra careful with your cooking time.
- 1 lbs dark chicken meat (skin and bone on is up to you, we prefer both on) cut in sections 1.5-2 inch pieces
- 4-6 whole dried red peppers
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock or coconut juice (not milk)–use a cup if you want more sauce.
- 2 green onion, cut about 1 inch segments
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/2 tbs minced lemongrass (take from minced lemongrass from below)
- cooking oil
- 2 minced shallots
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 stalks lemongrass, mince the tender white end
- 1-2 tbs of red chili pepper flakes (use more or less according to taste)
- 1.5 tbs of sugar
- 2 tbs of fish sauce.
- 1 tbs of sesame oil
- 1/2 ts of tumeric powder
- 1/2 tbs of fresh ground pepper
Mix the ingredients for the marinade and marinade the chicken for about 2 hours or overnight covered in the fridge.
In a large wok or frying pan on medium high heat, add about 1-2 tbs of cooking oil and fry garlic and lemongrass until they are fragrant but not yet browned. Turn on high heat and add the chicken and sear until outside is browned, and stir occasionally. Add dried whole red peppers and stock/coconut juice, cover and cook until juice is reduced by about half. Make final seasoning adjustments and add the green onions just before turning off heat.
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