Rice Noodle Bowl with Lemongrass & Chicken

Rice Noodle Bowl with Lemongrass, Chicken & Nuoc Mam

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

For the marinade

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon peeled ginger grated on a microplane

1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped (see note below on how to prepare)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

For building the bowl:

neutral oil

rice noodles, cooked according to package instructions, tossed with a little oil

1 English Cucumber, cut into long strips

Fresh mint, torn into smaller pieces

Cilantro, roughly chopped

Bostin bibb lettuce leaves

roasted salted cashews

prepared nuoc mam (recipe below)

Nuoc mam:

1/3 cup fish sauce (I love Three Crabs brand)

1/3 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed

1/3 cup water

1 disk palm sugar, grated on a Microplane (you need about 1/3 cup grated sugar)

2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane

1-2 Thai chilies, thinly sliced (depending on how much heat you would like)

Marinate the chicken:

Whisk together all ingredients for the marinade and transfer to a dish or plastic bag, add the chicken and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Make the nuoc mam:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until the palm sugar melts.

Build the bowl:

Heat a drizzle of oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Remove the lemongrass chicken from the marinade and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Set aside and allow to cool for a few minutes below slicing. While the chicken cooks, prepare the remaining ingredients for the bowl.

Arrange the lettuce in a single layer in your bowl. Place some noodles down along one edge, working around the edge, add some cucumbers, sliced lemongrass chicken and cashews. Drizzle the bowl with as much nuoc mam as desired and enjoy.

To prepare the lemongrass:

Cut off about ½-inch off the bottom of the stalk. Remove 6 -8 inches off the top of the stalk. Peel off the outer layers of the stalk until you reach the tender center layers. If your lemongrass is not as fresh, the leaves will be a little dryer and you’ll need to remove more. Rinse the lemongrass with water if you see visible dirt. Slice the center leaves into thin rings. It the rings are too thick the pieces may be too fibrous.