Fresh lemongrass’s more fragrant inner portions offer more flavorful experiences than its fibrous outsides, so to use in recipes you must first remove and mince this part.
Before mincing your stalks, try pounding them with a kitchen mallet or knife blade to release aromatic oils and intensify the flavor in your dish. This helps release their aromatic qualities and infuse it throughout.
Method 1: Using a Knife
If you’re cooking with lemongrass in any form – curry, soup or marinade – mince it first to ensure a tender and stringy bite. A sharp serrated knife and cutting board should suffice; alternatively you could try using a mortar and pestle or food processor to finely chop its stalks.
To prepare lemongrass for mincing, start by trimming away its tops and ends using a sharp knife. Next, trim down each stalk two inches below its base as this lower portion contains woody fibers which cannot be eaten; while its upper portion offers soft textures which make them edible for use in recipes. A cutting board can prevent stalks from sliding as you cut.
Now it is important to peel away the tough outer layers, which typically are dark green in color and thicker than the rest of the stalks. There may be several such layers on each stalk and their removal can be quite challenging – however it’s essential since you want access to its tender inner core for use in recipes.
Use a sharp kitchen knife to slice through lemongrass stalks at approximately 45-degree angles, creating thin slices approximately an inch long. Slice through these thin slices at an slightly wider angle for easier chewing – use immediately or freeze for later use in curries, soups and stews.
As with all produce, lemongrass can quickly lose its freshness once exposed to air or the elements, so always check its freshness by looking for tightly packed stalks with firm touch points – looser pieces may have passed their prime and won’t taste great when eaten raw or minced for recipes. To preserve their flavor and keep its aroma alive for future use, store minced stalks in plastic freezer bags until needed for recipe.
Method 2: Using a Food Processor
Lemongrass is an aromatic stalk with a distinct citrusy fragrance, ideal for adding zesty zestiness to recipes. Native to tropical climates and common in Thai and Vietnamese cuisines alike, its citrusy taste compares favourably with lemon balm’s; however, its scent is stronger.
Food processors make minced lemongrass easy, but to ensure maximum effectiveness it is important to properly prep its stalk. Begin by cutting away the base with a sharp kitchen knife – this lower part of the stem is tough and flavorless so should be removed as much as possible – then slice off its green top portion so it becomes easier to work with.
Once the lemongrass is ready, add it to a food processor and pulse it until finely chopped. Remove this mixture from the machine and set it aside before washing your hands after handling lemongrass as its fragrance may be strong and it may contain sticky oils that leave fingerprints behind.
If you don’t own a food processor, you can still mince lemongrass using a mortar and pestle, though the process will take longer and require you to be more delicate when handling thick stalks. In addition, more pressing is needed in order to release its essential oils – these contain essential flavor- and aroma-producing compounds which give lemongrass its unique flavors and aromas.
Use a rolling pin or the back of a knife to mash the stalk into small pieces, helping release its flavors and separate its fibers. Finally, use your blade of knife to slice off small bits from each stalk for use later.
Once you’ve produced the desired amount of minced lemongrass, store it in an airtight plastic bag in the refrigerator or freeze it for later use – both methods will typically keep it for 10-14 days in the freezer before expiration occurs. Be sure to label your bag accordingly to avoid waste.
Method 3: Using a Pestle
Lemongrass is a tropical, aromatic herb used in many Thai cuisine dishes. With its distinctive citrusy fragrance combining elements of lemon, ginger, flower or mint notes produced by Cymbopogon citratus stalks – easily found at most grocery stores – lemongrass provides many health benefits and medicinal properties that make it a good alternative to salt when it comes to culinary applications.
To mince lemongrass, begin by using a sharp knife to trim away its outermost layers, which will reveal its more flexible inner core. From here, cut it into thin slices. If desired, for smaller amounts you could also crush these stalks using a mortar and pestle.
Lemongrass can add aromatic fragrance and flavor to soups, curries, or any dish requiring its aromatic qualities. When added to soup or broth recipes, its stalks should be simmered for 10 minutes in order to extract all its oils and flavors while being careful not to overdo the process as this could make the stalks bitter over time.
Another fantastic use for lemongrass is salads. Simply toss it with vegetables, meat or fish before tossing with dressing of choice or combine it with other ingredients to form a seasoning paste before spreading over your chosen food before grilling.
Lemongrass adds an invigorating, zesty tanginess to chicken, fish and vegetable dishes when used in marinades, and helps tenderize any type of meat or fish you use it with. Try it in your favorite steamed or fried rice dish too!
Lemongrass can add depth and variety to dessert dishes. Prep is quick and simple – be sure to give this versatile ingredient a try and see just how much of an impact it can make in your dishes! You will be amazed at just how well it complements other flavors in meals.
Method 4: Using a Kitchen Mallet
Lemongrass must be cleaned and prepared like any vegetable or herb before use, with some recipes calling for whole stalks that have simply been bruised, while most prefer minced versions as they’re easier to work with and allow more even distribution of its fragrant oils in dishes.
Start by gently peeling away the tough outer layers of lemongrass using your fingers, exposing a paler and more tender stalk that you will use for mincing. How many layers you remove depends on its freshness – in some cases only two or three outer layers need be taken off.
Carefully slice off the base of the stalk where it connects to its bulb, saving the remaining stalk for another recipe or tossing it as this portion can often be hard and flavorless.
Be sure to save the upper portion of the stalk for use in soups or curries, or chop into thin pieces before grinding with either a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder to create fine mince.
No matter which method you select to mince lemongrass, it is crucial that it be done quickly. Lemongrass’s fragrant oils can quickly dissipate if left to stagnate within its own stalk – to release as quickly as possible, it is best to hold one hand tightly around its stalk while simultaneously hitting it against an extremely hard surface like the edge of a bowl or countertop with your other hand.
Kitchen mallets can be more efficient than using your palm, as the metal allows for greater force when striking lemongrass stalks with the mallet without damage to them. Once struck, move it around in circular motion to break up large fiber pieces until your lemongrass mixture has been chopped into finely minced pieces that can be added directly into dishes of choice.