Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken and chayote & garlic
I tried Chayote in Mexican cuisine, very interesting refreshing crunchy fruit, the texture of apple, the taste between radish and mild pear. They are tasty just plain and simple. Today I’m making Vietnamese dinner, my favorite cuisine! So, I made chayote & garlic (they are amazing together!), fried in the wok with shallot, oyster sauce, maple syrup, cilantro and lime. Another dish I made and used chayote, Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken. Everything was very tasty, flavorful and refreshing, also so easy to make!
Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken Ingredients, i also added some ginger to the marinade: Chicken and Marinade: 600 – 800g chicken thigh fillets, skinless and boneless 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, bruised and sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp vegetable oil Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Sauce): 1/4 cup fish sauce 4 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tbsp white sugar 1/2 cup water 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 red birds eye chilli, finely chopped 3 tbsp lime juice Noodle Bowl: 1/2 tbsp oil 200 g vermicelli noodles, dried 2 carrots, julienned 2 cucumbers, julienned 5 cups iceberg lettuce, finely sliced 3 cups bean sprouts Handful of mint leaves Handful of cilantro/coriander Sliced red chilli (optional, for garnish) Lime wedges (optional, for serving) Directions: Marinate the chicken in the lemongrass mixture for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours). Cook chicken in a pan over medium heat until golden and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes each side. Combine Nuoc Cham ingredients; set aside to meld flavors. Soak vermicelli in hot water, drain, and rinse. Assemble bowls with noodles, vegetables, herbs, and chicken. Drizzle with Nuoc Cham sauce.
Chayotes are probably quite unknown in the West, but I have started to see them pop up in a few places and wanted to feature them as they are so utterly gorgeous. They have the texture of apple but taste refreshing, like a hybrid of mild pear and radish. They are really crunchy and take on garlic beautifully. I love chayotes just like this – plain and simple. The dish goes really well and will prove popular as a vegetable accompaniment with ăn cơm meals.
Serves 2 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 small round shallot 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 chayote, peeled, sliced thinly into half-moons 1 tsp butter 2 tsp oyster sauce 1 tsp maple syrup 20 g (¾ oz) herb of choice, coarsely chopped or torn freshly ground black pepper juice of ¼ lemon zest of ½ lemon
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok on a high heat, add the shallots and cook until golden. Add the garlic and fry until you can smell it and it’s starting to turn crisp. Immediately add the chayote and wait for 30 seconds, then stir-fry vigorously. Add the butter, oyster sauce and maple syrup and continue to fry quickly. Add the herbs, season with black pepper and toss the pan for 3 minutes, when this should be done. Serve with a good squeeze of lemon juice and lemon zest. ~this recipe from my favorite Vietnamese cookbook. Uyen Luu, Vietnamese.
