Burmese Chicken With Lemongrass (Gin Xao Xaot)

Cut chicken into small serving pieces, Chinese style, chopping through the bones with a sharp cleaver.

Remove outer leaves of the lemongrass and finely slice the tender white part at the base of the stalks. Bruise with mortar and pestle or handle of cleaver. Finely slice the spring onions, including the green leaves.

Mix the chicken with the salt, pepper, lemongrass and spring onions and set aside for 30 minutes.

If lemon rind is used instead of lemon grass, shred the thinly peeled rind very finely with a sharp knife.

Heat a wok, add oil and when oil is hot add the chicken mixture and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add chilies and stir fry on medium heat for a further 10 minutes or until chicken no longer looks pink.

Season with sugar and pepper and add peanuts. Stir well. Then serve with rice or noodles

NOTE: If you cannot get fresh lemon grass, this is one recipe where dried lemon grass will not do. Instead, use the finely peeled rind of a large lemon to get a close approximation of the original recipe.