Citrus Fusion Marinade

Eurasian "fusion" cooking has been hot recently. This recipe is more Vietnamese (which, with its strong French culinary heritage, is a fusion cuisine all of its own) than anything else, and depends upon the staples of the Southeast Asian cuisines.

This particular marinade can be used with poultry or pork, and possibly with beef as well. The left over marinade should be kept, because together with any drippings, it can be easily turned into a rich sauce. If the drippings are particularly fatty (for example, a dish made with chicken thighs), you may want to consider making a roux and making a conventional gravy with the drippings and the leftover marinade. Otherwise, simply bring the marinade and drippings to a frothing boil over high heat for a few minutes (to cook it thoroughly and reduce it in volume), and add 1 to 2 TBS of butter, to make a sauce.

Marinade Ingredients

1 TBS Finely chopped Lemon Grass
1 Kaffir Lime Leaf
1 Slice Dried Galangal
6 TBS Lime Juice
4 TBS Fish Sauce
4 TBS Water
4 TBS Sugar
2 TBS Carmelized Sugar

Ingredient Notes

Frozen lemon grass is fine. If using dried, make sure to hydrate it first.

There is no substitute for a Kaffir Lime leaf. If you can't get one, you can leave it out and see how you like it. The leaves last for a long time if frozen, and can be used frozen in this dish.

Fresh or frozen sliced Galangal should work fine, I've just been using the dried. It may shift the flavor somewhat. You may also be able to substitute a ginger slice if you can't get galangal.

To make carmelized sugar, mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mix starts to brown, start stirring it. When it reaches a deep brown, add an additional 1/2 cup water. This may well cause spattering, and is likely to cause the sugar mix to solidify in some fashion. Return it to the high heat, and stir for about 5 minutes. Add a capful of lemon juice, and let it cool. This sauce keeps a long time.

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Dave Weinstein
olorin@sff.net