Chicken Larb (Laap Gai)

I love Asian salad's of all kinds, and Laap Gai is definitely one of my favorites! If you've ever been to an authentic Laos or Thai restaurant, chances are, you've probably come across this minced meat salad on the menu.

My version uses freshly minced galangal and minced lemongrass to kick things up a notch. The Khmer girl in me, just wont allow me to make this recipe without it!

Give my recipe a go, and you will not be disappointed! :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound of ground chicken (may sub with ground pork)

1 tsp of fresh galangal minced

2 Tablespoons of fresh lemongrass minced

1/2 of a shallot sliced

4-5 sprigs of mint chopped

4 sawtooth coriander chopped

handful of cilantro chopped

half of a green onion chopped (green part only)

2-3 limes

1 Tablespoon of fish sauce

2 teaspoons of pahok/padek ( I prefer the liquid kind for this particular salad)

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1/4 tsp of msg

1/2 teaspoon of dried chili flakes (or to taste)

2 Thai chili peppers finely chopped (or to taste)

1/4 cup of sticky rice/glutinous rice

You will also need:

extra virgin olive oil

a couple of Tablespoons of water

Garnishes:

sliced cucumbers

sliced jalapenos

romain lettuce

bean sprouts




INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Start off by dry roasting your sticky rice in a skillet on medium low heat. Stir the rice often, so that it browns evenly. This process should take about 10-15 minutes. Once done, place toasted rice in a mini blender or bullet, and process until ground. Set aside.

2. Take your ground chicken, and give it a little chop on your cutting board. This part is optional. I don't like huge chunks of chicken in my salad. :)

3. With your skillet on medium high heat, drizzle in some olive oil. Add in your ground chicken, a few Tablespoons of water, and cook until no longer pink, or completely cooked through.

4. Drain your chicken in a colander and place it back into the same skillet. (Make sure you've turned off your stove)

5. Add in your galangal, lemongrass, dried chili flakes, fish sauce, msg, and sugar. Mix well.

6. Transfer your chicken into a large mixing bowl, and add in your fresh herbs, limes, fresh chili, pahok, and mix well. Taste check for seasoning. Add your toasted rice powder (to taste) last. Toss again, and serve immediately.

Asian Beef Salad (spicy beef larb)

INGREDIENTS:

about 2 pounds of sirloin steak

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 whole small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 shallot, thinly sliced

8-10 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped

1 stalk of lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped

2 slices of galangal, finely minced

12 sprigs of mint(or more)

12 sprigs of cilantro(or more)

8 sprigs of Vietnamese coriander

2-3 tsp of dried red pepper flakes

8-10 thai red chili, finely chopped(or to taste)

1/4 cup of good fish sauce(or to taste)

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp of msg(optional)

3 large limes(more or less depending on preference)

Pahok or padek(optional)

1/4 cup of uncooked sticky or glutinous rice to make toasted rice powder(use 2-3 Tbsp in the recipe)

cooked, thinly sliced tripe(optional)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Take your uncooked sticky rice and place it in a small pan on medium to medium low heat. Dry roast your rice until browned, making sure to stir it occasionally. Once toasted, place into food processor or grinder until mostly fine. Set aside.
2. Wash and pat dry your sirloin steaks. Lightly salt and pepper them. Add a little oil into a large skillet and fry them only until medium rare. My steaks were thin so I only did 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove them from heat and allow them to cool completely before slicing into them. Once cooled, slice against the grain and once more to make them into tiny bite size pieces.
3. Add all of your above ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add 2-3 Tbsp of the toasted rice powder last. Mix well using some food safe gloves and taste check. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve same day along with some sliced cucumbers and fresh bean sprouts.

Notes: This recipe makes quite a bit so feel free to cut recipe in half!