Use This Satisfying Technique To Get The Most Flavor From Lemongrass

Lemongrass makes savory dishes sing and sweet treats sparkle. It's an herb that brings a bright zest to the table and one that should be in everyone's pantry, a versatile plant with a tough stalk and a powerful, citrusy flavor profile. Use it in soups and stews, stir-fries and noodle dishes. It's also at home in sweets like cakes, cookies, and pies and even a refreshing tea you can serve hot or iced. Lemongrass also makes a wonderful marinade for everything from steaks to chicken to seafood. It's a well-known staple in Southeast Asian cooking, brightening up dishes like crispy ginger-glazed tofu bowls, sweet and spicy sesame chicken, and Panang curry tomato bisque.

You can use lemongrass dried, raw, diced, or whole. But the best, most satisfying technique to get the most flavor from lemongrass is to use it raw and smash the stalk. That's right, smash the lemongrass stalk with a meat tenderizer or mallet. Crushing the stalk releases essential oils and aromatics, a burst of lemony zest that you'll smell right away. Add that freshly smashed lemongrass to your dishes for the most flavorful and uplifting lemony flavors.

The best way to get the most out of your lemongrass starts at the store. Look for fresh lemongrass with tightly packed stalks with green tops. You can even give lemongrass a smell test to make sure you get the most flavorful bunch. It should smell very fragrant — lemony and herby. Avoid anything that's wilted, slimy, or otherwise showing signs of spoilage. Store your lemongrass wrapped loosely in the produce bag, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap in the fridge for up to two weeks. Or freeze trimmed lemongrass wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in a zip-close freezer bag for up to three months. 

When you're getting ready to use your lemongrass, trim off the woody-textured base and peel off the outer leaves. Chop off the green part of the stalk and save it to use later. Smash the white part of the stalk until the fragrant essential oils are released and use it to brighten up a shrimp and eggplant stir-fry or infuse cocktails with a zesty herbal twist.