HOW TO...HANDLE LEMONGRASS

An herb central to Thai cooking, now a favourite of 'fusion' chefs

(Stock Photo courtesy of Pixaby)

Lemongrass was not until now used in 67's cooking, mainly because it's often sold in packets and seemed pricy for what would be infrequent use.  But my artisan greengrocer* sells individual lemongrass at 30pence each!

Lemongrass is a woody, tightly packed Southeast Asian herb with grey green leaves.  It's  lemony & smoky and, some say, sweet.  67 didn't pick up sweetness but the flavour is unique, conjuring images of open-air markets in the East.  

Westerners know it mainly through food but it's also used medicinally for digestion, high blood pressure and anxiety.  Herbalists warn it is not recommended for anyone with kidney or liver disease.

 Pomelo LemonGrass Cocktail 

Thai cuisine uses a lot of lemongrass: in stews & curries, marinades, soups, stir fries and teas.  

It seemed an ideal match for Pomelo, the large Asian grapefruit hybrid, for a drink to celebrate the Year of the Dog.  

  

The first trial was a disaster -- couldn't really smell it or taste it.  

The greengrocer's advice was to: 

• remove the bottom couple of fibrous inches (the bulb)
• whack the trimmed, peeled lemongrass with the back of a cleaver or rolling pin until the fragrance is unmistakeable, then
• slice it thinly
• and infuse it in boiling water

It worked.   

(In stews and curries the lemongrass is thrown in whole and removed at the end of cooking.) 

And guess what?  The drink required 4 lemongrass, the contents of a supermarket packet.

*Pomona,opposite Belsize Park tube

Sources: Web MD

              BBC Good Food

              Herbal Resources

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