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Larb is described on the menus of Thai restaurants around here as a salad, but the actual dishes aren't so salad-like, and often they're kind of flat, especially when made with lower-fat meats. Even Dok Bua's once-excellent larb is pretty flat these days. This recipe leans back into herbs and vegetables for complexity and away from spicing, with a brighter, less muddy result.
Dry roast 1/4 cup uncooked rice until it's a nice golden brown. You're supposed to use sweet (that is, glutinous) rice for this, but I used sushi rice and it was delicious. Arborio rice or even jasmine rice would also work. Run it through a food processor or blender until the biggest pieces are no more than about 2mm across.
Thinly slice 2 oz shallots and separate into rings. If you don't have shallots, red onions will also work. Loosely piled in a liquid measuring cup they'll come up to about the 1 cup line. Cover with enough boiling water to bring up to 1 cup, and then add 1/4 cup white rice vinegar. Set aside to pickle.
In a large bowl, combine:
6 oz diced peeled cucumber (about 1-1/2 cups)
6 oz thinly sliced radish (about 2 cups)
3 oz chopped scallion (about 1-1/3 cups)
3 oz finely chopped cilantro, stems on (about 1-3/4 cups)
1 cup chopped mint leaves
1 cup chopped Thai basil leaves (or regular basil if you don't have Thai basil)
7 teaspoons fish sauce (I prefer three crabs brand to red boat brand for this)
5 tablespoons lime juice
stirring well to coat the veggies with the liquid.
For each serving that will be eaten immediately, wash 4 romaine leaves, so that the larb doesn't get cold while you do this later.
In a very hot cast iron skillet, dry toast an ounce or so of packaged fried shallots (I use First World brand) for a minute or two. Or if you don’t have fried shallots, cook
6 oz diced shallots (about 2 cups)
in a little bit of oil for a couple of minutes. Set aside. Then in the same skillet, cook:
2 pounds ground chicken (I like to grind this myself to get a nice coarse grind but if you do, be sure to pat your chicken dry first or it won't brown right.)
1 tablespoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt
until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula to break it up and keep it from sticking. Don't worry if it sticks a little at first -- it'll express some liquid and deglaze itself once it gets going.
Strain the liquid out of the now-pickled shallots, drain the chicken mixture, and add them both to the bowl along with the fried shallots and toasted rice.
Stir and serve with the romaine leaves immediately.
Makes 4 1-pint servings.
Dry roast 1/4 cup uncooked rice until it's a nice golden brown. You're supposed to use sweet (that is, glutinous) rice for this, but I used sushi rice and it was delicious. Arborio rice or even jasmine rice would also work. Run it through a food processor or blender until the biggest pieces are no more than about 2mm across.
Thinly slice 2 oz shallots and separate into rings. If you don't have shallots, red onions will also work. Loosely piled in a liquid measuring cup they'll come up to about the 1 cup line. Cover with enough boiling water to bring up to 1 cup, and then add 1/4 cup white rice vinegar. Set aside to pickle.
In a large bowl, combine:
6 oz diced peeled cucumber (about 1-1/2 cups)
6 oz thinly sliced radish (about 2 cups)
3 oz chopped scallion (about 1-1/3 cups)
3 oz finely chopped cilantro, stems on (about 1-3/4 cups)
1 cup chopped mint leaves
1 cup chopped Thai basil leaves (or regular basil if you don't have Thai basil)
7 teaspoons fish sauce (I prefer three crabs brand to red boat brand for this)
5 tablespoons lime juice
stirring well to coat the veggies with the liquid.
For each serving that will be eaten immediately, wash 4 romaine leaves, so that the larb doesn't get cold while you do this later.
In a very hot cast iron skillet, dry toast an ounce or so of packaged fried shallots (I use First World brand) for a minute or two. Or if you don’t have fried shallots, cook
6 oz diced shallots (about 2 cups)
in a little bit of oil for a couple of minutes. Set aside. Then in the same skillet, cook:
2 pounds ground chicken (I like to grind this myself to get a nice coarse grind but if you do, be sure to pat your chicken dry first or it won't brown right.)
1 tablespoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt
until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula to break it up and keep it from sticking. Don't worry if it sticks a little at first -- it'll express some liquid and deglaze itself once it gets going.
Strain the liquid out of the now-pickled shallots, drain the chicken mixture, and add them both to the bowl along with the fried shallots and toasted rice.
Stir and serve with the romaine leaves immediately.
Makes 4 1-pint servings.
