Lemon Grass

Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a perennial reed-like grass that is grown in the West Indies, southern India and south-east Asia. Looking somewhat like a spring onion, the plant has tough, woody outer leaves and tender inner leaves that impart a spicy, lemony flavour to dishes when they are bruised or cut. Used extensively in Thai and Indonesian curries, lemon grass is used to flavour pork, seafood and chicken, giving them a distinctive flavour that makes them quite different from Indian curries. It is also included in marinades, stir-fries, stews, soups, food dressings and salads.

When adding lemongrass to cooking, the base of the root should be trimmed away, as should over half of the upper stalk. The woody outer leaves should then be removed to reveal the tender inner heart. This may be chopped finely, minced or ground into a paste. Alternatively, the leaves may be cut into long lengths and added to the food whilst it cooks, and then removed before serving. This is particularly good for soups, stews and sauces. The whole leaves may also be placed in a roasting dish with food, or wrapped in foil with food that is to be barbequed. Again, these leaves should be removed before serving.

Lemon grass may be kept in the freezer for 6 months or a few weeks in the fridge, well wrapped in plastic. Lemon peel or dried lemon grass may be used in place of fresh lemon grass, substituting 20 cm length of stalk for 1 tablespoon of dried lemon grass or several long strips of lemon peel.