What to use instead of lemongrass
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Citrus aromatic bruised into a simmering broth
The stalk is too fibrous to eat, so it is bruised and simmered to push its citral oil into the liquid, then fished out before serving.
Kaffir lime leavesRan out
4 leaves per stalk
A sharper, more perfumed lime note with none of the grassy body underneath it.
Lemon zest with gingerRan out
Zest of 1 lemon plus 1/2 inch of ginger per stalk
Brighter and more sour-smelling, and it fades within 15 minutes of simmering, so add it near the end.
Lemongrass paste, jarred or frozenRan out
1 tbsp paste per stalk
It dissolves into the broth so there is nothing to fish out, and the flavour is duller and tastes pre-cooked.
Dried lemongrass tied in clothRan out
1 tbsp dried per stalk, simmered 20 minutes
Woodier and much weaker with a hay edge to it, and it needs the longer simmer to give anything up.
What doesn't work: Lemon juice. The aroma in lemongrass is an oil and lemon juice is mostly acid, so you get a sour broth with no perfume in it, and the acid can split the coconut milk in a tom kha.
Minced aromatic pounded into a paste or marinade
Only the pale bottom few inches are tender enough to eat, and pounding breaks those fibres so the oil goes into the meat rather than staying locked in the stalk.
Lemongrass paste from a tubeRan out
1 tbsp per stalk minced
No fibre at all, so the marinade is smoother and clings better, and the flavour is flatter.
Kaffir lime leaves sliced hair-thinRan out
6 leaves per stalk
Much more perfumed and it stays as visible green threads, with none of the onion-like base note.
Lemon zest with grated gingerRan out
Zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tsp grated ginger per stalk
Closer in aroma than juice gets, and the zest scorches faster on a grill, so keep the meat moving.
What doesn't work: The whole stalk minced, tops and all. The upper two-thirds stays woody no matter how long you pound it, so the marinade leaves splinters in every bite.