Chicken Lemongrass Skewers with Sriracha Mayo

Delicious chicken skewers on lemongrass. Serve them as an appetizer or tapas.

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You will need

Chicken Skewers

14 oz (400 g) chicken breast, rinsed, dried, and very finely chopped

4 kaffir lime leaves, center rib removed and discarded, leaves finely chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) lemongrass, finely chopped *See Tip 1 below

4 tbsp (60 ml) palm sugar, finely chopped

2 tsp (10 ml) red chili, finely chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) garlic, finely chopped

1½ tbsp (22 ½ ml) cilantro, finely chopped

4 tbsp (60 ml) fish sauce

4 tbsp (60 ml) potato starch

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ tsp (2 ½ ml) MSG *** See Note 1 below

Breading

All-purpose flour

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 egg, beaten

Panko breadcrumbs

8 lemongrass stalks (for skewers)

Canola oil or other neutral oil **See Tip 2 below

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Sriracha Mayo

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) mayonnaise, homemade or Hellmann’s

1.5–2 tbsp (22 ½ ml-30 ml) Sriracha sauce

½–1 tsp (2½ -5 ml) honey

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

How to make it

Sriracha mayo:

1.  Prepare the Sriracha mayo by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) mayonnaise, homemade or Hellmann’s

1.5–2 tbsp (22 ½ ml-30 ml) Sriracha sauce

½–1 tsp (2½ -5 ml) honey

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Chicken Skewers

2.  Prepare all the ingredients to be rinsed, peeled, and chopped.  Use a spice grinder or blender for the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves to make them extra fine.

14 oz (400 g) chicken breast, rinsed, dried, and very finely chopped

4 kaffir lime leaves, center rib removed and discarded, leaves finely chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) lemongrass, finely chopped *See Tip 1 below

4 tbsp (60 ml) palm sugar, finely chopped

2 tsp (10 ml) red chili, finely chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) garlic, finely chopped

1½ tbsp (22 ½ ml) cilantro, finely chopped

3. In a large bowl, combine the finely chopped chicken with lime leaves, lemongrass, palm sugar, chili, garlic, cilantro and fish sauce. Mix well with your hands.

14 oz (400 g) chicken breast, rinsed, dried, and very finely chopped

4 kaffir lime leaves, center rib removed and discarded, leaves finely chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) lemongrass, finely chopped *See Tip 1 below

4 tbsp (60 ml) palm sugar, finely chopped

2 tsp (10 ml) red chili, finely chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) garlic, finely chopped

1½ tbsp (22 ½ ml) cilantro, finely chopped

4 tbsp (60 ml) fish sauce

4.  Add the potato starch, black pepper, and MSG. Mix again and let rest, covered, in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Before cooking, place the mixture in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm it up.

4 tbsp (60 ml) potato starch

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ tsp (2 ½ ml) MSG *** See Note 1 below

5.  Trim the lemongrass stalks to make them a bit shorter and shape 1/8 of the chicken mixture around the lower third of each stalk.

8 lemongrass stalks (for skewers)

Breading

6. Prepare the breading station by putting flour on a plate. Season the flour with salt and pepper and mix well. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place the panko on a plate and season with salt and pepper.  Roll each skewer in flour, then dip in beaten egg, and finally coat in panko breadcrumbs.

All-purpose flour

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 egg, beaten

Panko breadcrumbs

7.  BBQ or pan-fry the skewers in oil until cooked through and golden brown.

Canola oil or other neutral oil **See Tip 2 below

8. Serve with a lime wedge and a small bowl of Sriracha mayo as a dip.

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Sriracha mayo

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Tip & tricks

Tip 1: To release the flavors in lemongrass, you should pound it so that it is crushed which makes the flavors come out. Cut off the small root part and the upper, woodier half of the lemongrass. Peel away the outer skin of the lower part that will be used. I put all scraps in the freezer and use them when I make broth (see below).

Tip 2: Avoid frying odors - using peanut oil for frying minimizes smell.

Note 1: MSG, also known as monosodium glutamate or simply glutamate, is the umami flavor in powdered form. MSG is a very common seasoning and flavor enhancer in Asian cuisine and goes well with everything. It is an approved additive in Sweden and is also labeled as E-621. Chemically, it is the salt of glutamic acid, produced microbiologically through fermentation. Only very small doses are needed to enhance the flavor.