Lemongrass chicken thigh with onion on rice
Chicken thigh marinated with lemongrass, garlic and fish sauce, pan-fried until the skin crisps, on rice with soft onions and a squeeze of lime.
- 30 min
- Serves 2
- Pan-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-stagnant types are prone to low moods and a bloated feeling under the ribs, and the shorter days of early winter can make it worse. Lemongrass has a bright, fresh aroma that moves qi and settles the stomach, onion moves qi too, and with crisp chicken and lime the dish is tangy and appetising — a lift for body and mood.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min- 1Cook the rice. Peel the tough outer layers off the lemongrass and finely chop the pale part. Marinate the chicken with the lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar for 30 minutes.
- 2Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and lay the chicken in skin side down. Fry over medium heat for 6 minutes until crisp, then turn and cook for 5 minutes more until cooked through. Slice.
- 3In the same pan, fry the onion until soft and lightly charred, then add the leftover marinade and bring to the boil.
- 4Spoon the onions over the rice, top with the chicken, squeeze over a little lime and serve with the lettuce.
Cautions
- Fish sauce is salty — halve it if you have high blood pressure and add more lime for flavour.
Chef's tips
- Fry the chicken skin side down over medium heat to render the fat; the skin crisps without needing extra oil.
The TCM view
Lemongrass is pungent and warm, moving qi, settling the stomach and dispersing wind-cold, and its scent helps ease pent-up feelings; onion is pungent and warm and moves qi; chicken is sweet and warm and supports qi; lime is sour, generating fluids and waking the appetite. Aromatic and qi-moving, warm without being drying.
