Lemongrass: Preparing, Using and Freezing

Flavor and origin

Lemongrass smells fresh like lemon zest, with a slightly floral and grassy note. It brings no acidity. That is why Thai and Vietnamese recipes almost always combine it with lime juice, tamarind or fish sauce.

The plant (Cymbopogon citratus) grows in South and Southeast Asia. In Thailand it is called "takrai," in Vietnam "sả," in Indonesia "sereh" and in Malaysia "serai." In Germany it usually sits in the refrigerated section in bundles of three to five stalks.

Preparing lemongrass

The upper part of the stalk is dry and woody. Only the lower 10 to 15 centimeters are soft enough for cooking. Here is how to prepare a stalk:

1. Cut off the hard root end, about one centimeter.
2. Peel off the outer one or two leaves until a smooth, pale yellow to white layer shows.
3. Cut the stalk off where it turns green and dry. You can save the green ends for stock or tea.
4. Process further depending on the recipe:
   • For soups and broths: Cut into 5-centimeter pieces and bruise flat with the back of a knife or the bottom of a pot. That makes the stalk release its aroma.
   • For pastes and marinades: Cut into paper-thin rings, then chop finely or pound in a mortar.
   • For salads: Use only the most tender inside and cut it into very fine rings.

A typical mistake: coarsely cut lemongrass in a paste or salad. The fibers stay tough and you chew on them. If you are unsure, chop one round longer.

How to use it in the kitchen

In Thai soups lemongrass sets the base note. For tom yum goong and tom yam gai, you cook the bruised pieces in the broth together with galangal and makrut lime leaves. It is also in tom kha gai. The pieces stay on the plate when you eat.

More places to use it:

• Curry pastes: Green and red Thai curry paste contain finely chopped lemongrass, for example for gaeng keow wan.
• Marinades: For grilled skewers like satay ayam, blend lemongrass with shallots, garlic and spices.
• Vietnamese cooking: Chopped lemongrass is fried briefly with chili and meat or tofu goes in.
• Drinks: Boil the stalks into a brew for nam takrai, the Thai lemongrass drink.

On amounts: for a pot of soup for four people, take two to three stalks. For a curry paste one or two are enough, and for a marinade for 500 grams of meat one stalk. The aroma passes quickly into hot liquid, so add the pieces to the broth at the start and let them steep for ten to fifteen minutes.

You do not have to throw away the green leaf ends. Tie them in a knot and let them cook along in rice, broth or tea. Remove them before serving.

Substitutes

No substitute matches the aroma exactly. These options work depending on the dish:

• Frozen or dried lemongrass: Frozen comes closest to fresh. Dried pieces work in broths, powder in marinades.
• Lemongrass paste from a tube or jar: Good for pastes and marinades. One teaspoon replaces about one stalk.
• Lemon zest: Grated organic lemon zest gives citrus fragrance but not the grassy note. Adding a makrut lime leaf gets you closer.

Buying, storing and freezing

You can buy fresh lemongrass at an Asian grocery store, in many supermarkets with the herbs or exotic fruit, and at farmers' markets with an Asian offering. Good stalks are firm, heavy and juicy at the cut. Leave soft, brown or dried-out stalks.

In the crisper drawer it keeps for about two weeks, wrapped in damp paper towel and in a bag. For longer, freeze it. You have two options:

1. Whole stalks: Trim, cut into pieces and put in a freezer bag. Bruise them frozen and they go straight into the broth.
2. Chopped: Chop finely, spread flat in a bag and freeze. You then break off as much as you need for a paste or marinade.

Frozen, lemongrass stays aromatic for several months.