Vegetarian

Look for fresh lemongrass in Asian markets and some supermarkets.

These make a wonderful addition to any summer salad or antipasto. They can also be served as a side dish for roasted or grilled lamb.

You can make this sauce with thawed frozen peas instead of fresh, in which case they don’t need to be blanched. The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding water to thin, if necessary.

To save time, you can complete the first three steps and chop onion and celery the day before. If you use shelled chestnuts, chop, then proceed with step 2.

Garlic gives the dish a mellow flavor.

You will need to dry the bread cubes overnight; transfer them to resealable plastic bags until you’re ready to make the stuffing, up to 1 day more.

To tone down the sauce for little mouths, omit some of the chiles.

This recipe makes enough sauce for 8 chickens. Refrigerate leftover sauce for up to 2 weeks.

Brush on fish, chicken, and burgers.