Americans may take ground meat and turn it into a burger, but
Thais season cooked ground meat with chiles and lime and spoon it
into crisp fresh lettuce cups. This recipe for laab makes a
refreshing first course or snack on a hot day.
Spicy Chicken Salad (Laab)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 4 to 6 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 pound ground chicken or pork
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 shallots, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 small, fresh, red Thai chile, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped lime zest
1 teaspoon fish sauce (nam pla)
6 large, sturdy lettuce leaves
Chopped cilantro for garnish
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high
heat. Stir in the ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the
ground chicken or pork and cook, stirring, until the
pink color disappears and the meat is cooked through, 3
to 5 minutes. Remove the meat and ginger from the pan
with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate to cool
slightly.
2. Combine the lime juice, shallots, scallions, chile,
lime zest, and fish sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir in the
cooked meat.
3. Divide the lettuce leaves among the serving plates and
spoon the laab onto the leaves. Garnish with cilantro
to serve. To eat, fold up the lettuce, burrito-style,
and enjoy the contrasting flavors and textures.
Fish sauce (or nam pla) is the by-product of dried, fermented
fish, usually anchovies or shrimp. Quality varies. The best sauce
is pale amber in color and has a light, refreshing, salty taste.
Nam pla, also known as nuoc nam in Vietnam, has a pungent smell,
but when used in cooking, the sauce mellows, blending well into
each dish in which it's prepared..