Larb is a Thai minced-meat dish that some regard as the unofficial national dish of Laos. It is bursting with the quintessential flavors of this part of the world, that amazing balance between hot and sour, salty and sweet.
For this version, I used chicken, though you could use beef, pork, duck or lamb. The meat is sauteed and coated with a heady mixture of shallots, lemongrass, fish sauce, hot sauce, lime juice and sugar. When all of those flavors come together, wonderful things happen.
And then when you wrap it in lettuce with a spoonful of tender rice and some fresh cilantro — well, let's just say that "larb" becomes one of the prettiest food words around.
Assemble the dish yourself or let everyone make their own. Pile the meat into the lettuce with white rice, jasmine or basmati, or brown if you lean that way. And don't forget the green onions and cilantro.
Chicken Larb
Sauce:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon water
Chicken Larb:
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pound ground chicken
1 tablespoon minced fresh lemongrass
2 teaspoons fish sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 small romaine lettuce leaves, or Boston or bibb lettuce
1 cup cooked warm rice
Fresh cilantro leaves and thinly sliced green onions to garnish
For the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, Sriracha sauce and water. Set aside.
For the chicken: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute for 3 minutes until just barely golden. Turn the heat to medium-high, add the chicken and lemongrass and saute for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the 2 teaspoons fish sauce and season with salt (lightly) and pepper.
Spoon the chicken mixture into the lettuce cups with some of the rice, and drizzle the dressing over it. Top with cilantro leaves and green onions.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 270 calories, 22 g protein, 13 g fat, 17 g carbohydrate (4 g sugar), 98 mg cholesterol, 902 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
Food on 02/27/2019