My many trips to Thailand have led me to elevate lemongrass almost to the status enjoyed by garlic and ginger. It has a subtle but quite distinctive flavour that adds a certain something to the most prosaic recipes. Fortunately, it has now become generally available in most metropolitan areas in Western countries and it is well worth seeking out. Here, I have adapted the Thai version of this dish by pairing the lemongrass with sweet red or green peppers, which add colour as well as contrasting taste and texture.
| Easy entertaining |
| Preparation time 40 minutes |
| Serves 4 |
450 g (1 lb) lean beef steak
3 fresh lemongrass stalks
3 tablespoons groundnut (peanut) oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh root ginger
100 g (4 oz) (½ cup) shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
225 g (8 oz) red or green peppers (bell peppers) (about 1 large or 2 small), cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1½ tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
FOR THE MARINADE:
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)
1 Cut the beef into thin slices 5 cm (2 inches) long, cutting against the grain. Put it into a bowl together with all the marinade ingredients, mix well and leave to marinate for about 20 minutes.
2 Peel the lemongrass stalks to reveal the tender, whitish centre. Crush with the flat of a knife and cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces, then set aside.
3 Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat until it is very hot. Add the groundnut oil and, when it is very hot and slightly smoking, remove the beef from the marinade with a slotted spoon. Add it to the pan and stir-fry for 3–5 minutes, until browned. Remove and leave to drain in a colander or sieve set inside a bowl.
4 Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the wok or pan. Re-heat over a high heat and then add the lemongrass, ginger, shallots and garlic and stir-fry for 20 seconds.
5 Add the peppers, soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry, salt, pepper and sugar and continue to stir-fry for 3 minutes. Then return the beef to the wok and stir-fry for 4 minutes, mixing well. Drizzle in the sesame oil and give the mixture a few stirs. Transfer to a warm platter and serve at once.