LEMONGRASS PASTE RECIPES

Steps:

• Toss together beef, lemongrass, fish sauce, brown sugar, and five-spice in a large bowl. Let beef marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Heat a Dutch oven over high until very hot; add 1 tablespoon oil. Remove one-third of beef from marinade, and add to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned on 2 to 3 sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer seared beef to a plate. Repeat process twice with 2 tablespoons oil and remaining beef, reserving marinade in bowl. (If there is excessive browning on bottom of Dutch oven, reduce heat to medium.)
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add shallots, ginger, garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, star anise, bay leaf, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reduces and thickens slightly, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Return beef and accumulated juices on plate to Dutch oven; stir in reserved beef marinade. Cook, stirring often, until tomato mixture thickens and coats beef, about 5 minutes. Stir in 5 cups water; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until beef yields slightly when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Skim and discard fat from surface of stew. Stir carrots into stew; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, until beef and carrots are tender and sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Taste stew; if needed, add more fish sauce or salt to intensify flavor, or add a few splashes of water to lighten flavors. Remove and discard lemongrass, star anise, and bay leaf. Divide stew among shallow bowls; sprinkle with cilantro.

Steps:

• As said in the description, this recipe really is as easy as throwing ingredients into a blender. Start, though, by cutting off the stems of the chillies, coring the peppers and peeling the shallots and garlic. It also helps to give the peppers and shallots a quick chop before throwing them in. Finally, bruise the lemongrass stalk, which simply means pressing down on the stalk with a flat knife, and chop the stalk in half.
• It is better to pulse the ingredients in stages from larger to shorter, just so everything grinds down well. I generally go peppers, shallots, lemongrass stalk, regular chillies, bird's eye chillies, garlic, then coriander and leaves. Everything should be well chopped but not quite yet a paste. (Leave the lime and the wet ingredients out until the next step).
• Season the not-quite paste with the zest and juice of the lime, 1tsp of each fish sauce and soy sauce, and 1-2 tbsp of sunflower oil. Blend the whole mixture again for about 10-20 seconds, and when it starts to look more like a paste it is ready.
• It's hard to say how much exactly this makes, I'd estimate about as much as you'd get in a small jar, so enough for 4 or 5 Tai Red Curries. It should be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks in a jar or airtight container. This paste not only makes great curries but can be used for many Thai soups and broths. Don't worry too much about using it up as the paste can also be frozen, though may loose some flavour in the thawing process.
• Thai Curry Recipe: Begin by warming some wok oil or vegetable oil in a pan and soften 1 chopped spring onion in the oil. Add 2 1/2 tbsp of curry paste to the pan and a packet of sugar snap peas, and after about 1 minute slowly whisk in a can of coconut milk (400ml, light preferably) and about 2 tbsp of water. Bruise a stick of lemongrass and add to the sauce, along with 1 tsp each of soy sauce and fish sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer, rinse 2 packets (about 400g) of raw jumbo king prawns, frozen are okay, and add them to the curry. By the time the sauce comes to the boil the prawns should be pink and everything should be cooked. Throw in a handful of chopped fresh coriander and the juice of half a lime right at the end. This curry serves 2-4 depending on the ammount of rice made to accompany it.