3000 miles 'til dinner.

The national dish (meaning “meat salad”) of Laos, it’s popularity quickly spread to northern Thailand and we now see it on Thai menus in the US. This salad is a spicy combination of minced or ground poultry, pork, beef or tofu,  mixed with chilies, lime juice and fish sauce and served hot tucked into chilled lettuce leaves.  It is traditionally served with sticky rice (posting soon!) and is delicious with GREEN PAPAYA SALAD for a light Spring dinner. Vegetarian version: see under WAYS TO JUST “just wing it” below.

Prep time:  30 minutes

Servings:  4

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

4 T. uncooked sticky rice or brown Japanese sweet rice  (for toasted rice flour)

3 T. oil (canola, light olive oil, corn)

2 large shallots

4 large cloves garlic

1 serrano or Thai chili, cut into a few pieces

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1” chunks

3 T. fish sauce

1 large lime, juiced

1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves and small stems, coarse chopped

2 T. fresh mint leaves, coarse chopped

1/2 C minced green onion, with tops, minced

8 or more lettuce leaves (butter lettuce a good choice)

♥Prep - toasted rice powder -  skillet or wok

In dry skillet or wok, over medium heat, add rice and shake/stir until rice turns golden brown and begins to pop. Cool slightly and grind to a coarse powder, using either a coffee grinder or mortar & pestle. Set aside. 

♥Prep - food processor

In processor bowl, pulse garlic, chilies and shallots. Remove and set aside. 

Add 1/4 the chicken and pulse until chicken is minced into fine pieces, (not mush), similar to “ground turkey or beef”.   Remove from bowl and set aside; continue until all chicken is chopped. 

In large heavy skillet or wok, heat oil until hot. Drop in garlic/shallot mix, stir a few times, then add chicken. Stir-fry chicken until it is just opaque (don’t overcook), approximately 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and immediately stir in fish sauce, and lime juice.  Transfer to a salad bowl and add cilantro, mint, green onions and toasted rice (or peanuts) . Toss gently and adjust seasoning.

♥ Serve hot or room temperature, with crisp lettuce leaves.

♥♥ WAYS TO “just wing it” ♥♥               consider or substitute

*vegetarian version - tofu: follow same directions, but saute until it begins to get crispy, sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue to fry and scrape up bits. This will take a few minutes longer than chicken. 

*sub: tamari (soy sauce) for fish sauce. 

*sub:  chopped peanuts for toasted rice powder

*consider: serving salad cold, with whole lettuce leaves or over shredded romaine

*consider adding:  sautéed and finely chopped mushrooms (any variety)

♥ Helpful Hints♥

*make extra rice powder and store for your next Larb Gai mission

*purchase ground chicken breast (or ground pork, turkey breast, etc)

(MIL post)