Larb is a spicy Thai salad using fried chicken. Quick and easy to make, it’s a great supper dish or lunchtime treat.
Ingredients
For the spicy lemongrass chicken larb
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
1 tbsp crushed roasted chillies
4 chicken thighs, deboned, skin removed and reserved, meat cut into thin strips
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp rice wine or sake
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 lime, juice only
1 small bunch Thai basil, chopped
1 small bunch coriander, stem and leaves, chopped
For the chicken skin skewers
50g/1¾oz roasted ground glutinous rice
1 tbsp roasted red chillies, crushed
chicken skin (from the thighs), cut into strips about 1½cm/½in wide
bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
sea salt
ground white pepper
For the garnish
1 carrot, sliced on an angle into oval slices
½ cucumber, sliced on an angle into oval slices
few sprigs Thai basil, leaves picked
few sprigs coriander, leaves picked
Method
In a hot wok heat the oil. Add the lemongrass and roasted chillies and cook until just fragrant. Add the chicken meat.
Add the sugar and rice wine (or sake) and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Then add the fish sauce and lime juice. Stir until the chicken is cooked and the liquid absorbed.
Remove from the heat, toss with Thai basil and coriander.
For the chicken skin skewers, preheat a heavy-based baking tray over the hob.
In a wok, heat the chillies and rice for 1-2 minutes then transfer to a pestle and mortar and pound into a paste.
Rub the chicken skin with the chilli paste.
Cook the chicken skin on the tray for about 4-5 minutes, or until crisp.
Thread the chicken skins onto the skewers. Season with the sea salt and white pepper.
Serve the chicken skin skewers with the lemongrass and chicken in a dish garnished with the sliced vegetables, Thai basil and coriander.
Source: BBC FOOD
