Lemongrass Chili Chicken (Gà kho sả ớt / Gà xào sả ớt)

"Every food lover has at least one true cookbook within -- a culinary diary from the heart. 

Food is about being in the present. It's also about remembering all that is worth remembering. For me, it's like walking down the street and catching a whiff of perfume that a past lover wore, or hearing an old song that encapsulated a whole period of life. It's that thing that makes me a little dizzy."  

(A Culinary Odyssey, Andrew X. Pham)

In the style of Mr. Pham, whose cookbook memoir has lately inspired me, I'd like to share a favorite Vietnamese dish I've encountered while living abroad. It's one that, when cooking in the future, I'm sure will take me straight back to this humble household in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. My roommate Ly cooks this about once a week, and I can't even tell you how happy it makes me each time.

This recipe was prepared by her, upon special request by yours truly.

Gà kho sả ớt / Gà xào sả ớt 

Some know this dish as gà kho sả ớt, while others call it gà xào sả ớt: lemongrass chili chicken. Savory and spicy, this dish bounces around in your mouth in a way that wakes up your palate. For those who like it hot, it's that flavorful kind of spicy that pleases every taste bud on your tongue. A type of spicy that's complemented by all the other ingredients.

Aside from being outrageously delicious, I like this dish because of how versatile it is. The first time Ly made it, she used chicken feet, but since then, she has also prepared it with chicken wings, eel (ếch), and fish (cá). Each type of meat changes the texture and flavor, but somehow the sauce goes well with each. I've enjoyed each version that she's made.

I should add a few disclaimers, though: The original recipe did not include quantities for each ingredient. I had to ask Ly to provide me with reasonable estimates for the sake of having someplace to start. Of course, she insisted (like many talented cooks will do) that quantity and proportions are largely based on feeling.

Also, take the photos with a grain of salt. They don't match the ingredients list, exactly. For example, the photo in Step 1 shows only a few speckles of diced chili. That's because for this photo shoot batch of gà kho sả ớt, we were cooking for friends who can't handle spicy food, and thus we went easy on the chili (... it's not as good, in my opinion -- don't hold back on the heat!) Also, I'm pretty sure our chicken exceeded 400g. 

Ingredients

- 400g chicken, or any kind of meat
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 small lemongrass stalks (white part only), finely diced
- 3 small chilis, finely diced
- 4 big cloves garlic, finely diced
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp MSG (can substitute with vegetable seasoning)
- 1 tsp vegetable seasoning
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- Water

Instructions 

1. Chop lemongrass, garlic and chili into small pieces. Mix them together.

2. Heat cooking oil in a small wok, with a tsp of sugar.

3. When the sugar melts and has become a dark yellow/brown, pour meat in and stir well. Turn heat down to low. 

4. Add chili, garlic, lemongrass, remaining sugar, MSG, and seasoning. Stir well.

5. Add fish sauce, wait for the mixture to boil for a while. Then add water (just enough to cover the surface) 

6. Keep fire on low and simmer until water evaporates and sauce becomes thick. 

7. Stir well until it smells good. 

8. Turn off fire and serve. 

Enjoy!  For the super visual learners, here's another version of the same dish, with an accompanying video. Luke Nguyen uses young coconut juice, instead of water, which probably takes the dish to a whole new level.