Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Laotian Larb Chicken
老撾香草雞肉碎沙律
Recipe overview
Laotian chicken larb uses toasted rice powder for nutty aroma, with fully cooked minced chicken, lime fish sauce, shallot and abundant fresh herbs folded in only after the heat is off.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g Minced chicken
- 3 tbsp Uncooked white sticky rice
- 20 g Mint leaves
- 20 g Coriander
- 2 Spring onions
- 3 Shallots
- 1 Red chilli
- 3 Limes
- 1 Cucumber
- 8 Lettuce leaves
Chicken seasoning
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
Sauce seasoning
- 3 tbsp Lime juice
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Lime zest
02
Tools
- Dry frying pan
- Wok and spatula
- Mortar and pestle
- Mixing bowl
- Knife and board
- Lime zester and juicer
- Measuring spoons
- Probe thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Toast the sticky rice
Toast the uncooked sticky rice in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until golden and nutty, then tip it out before residual heat burns it.
Step 2
Grind toasted rice powder
Cool the toasted rice completely, then pound it into a mostly fine powder with a few tiny grains remaining and measure 2 tbsp for the larb.
Step 3
Wash and dry the herbs
Wash mint, coriander and spring onion with potable water and dry thoroughly, then pick the leaves and slice the stems; wet herbs dilute the dressing.
Step 4
Slice shallots and chilli
Thinly slice the shallots and chilli, finely grate only the green lime zest and squeeze 3 tbsp lime juice without including bitter white pith.
Step 5
Mix lime fish-sauce dressing
Stir lime juice, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar and lime zest until the sugar dissolves, keeping all fresh herbs out for now.
Step 6
Heat the wok
Heat the wok over medium, add 1 tbsp oil and swirl; add the minced chicken as soon as the oil flows freely, before it smokes.
Step 7
Break up and cook chicken
Add 500 g minced chicken, press it into small pieces with the spatula and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until no pink remains and most moisture evaporates.
Step 8
Verify 75°C chicken
Gather the chicken into its thickest mound and insert a probe into the centre; require 75°C with no pink meat, cooking in 1-minute increments if lower.
Step 9
Add shallot off the heat
Turn off the heat, immediately add shallot and chilli and toss for 30 seconds so residual warmth softens them slightly without destroying their crunch.
Step 10
Fold in the lime dressing
When the chicken stops steaming fiercely, pour in the lime fish-sauce dressing and fold until coated without cooking away its fresh acidity.
Step 11
Add rice powder and herbs
Add 2 tbsp toasted rice powder, mint, coriander and spring onion, then fold gently for about 20 seconds and stop while the herbs remain green.
Step 12
Taste and serve promptly
Taste with a clean spoon and adjust with a little lime or fish sauce; divide into four portions with cucumber and lettuce while the chicken is still warm.
Common mistakes
- Grinding rice before it is golden tastes raw, while taking it dark brown makes the powder bitter.
- Judging chicken only by colour without probing the thickest mound at 75°C does not verify safe doneness.
- Cooking lime juice for long over high heat removes its fresh acidity and can make it harsh.
- Stir-frying the herbs turns them dark and wilted instead of keeping larb fragrant.
Tips
Toast rice powder ahead and store airtight, but check that it remains dry and nutty before use.
Fish-sauce saltiness varies, so taste with a clean spoon at the end and adjust gradually.
Drain lettuce and cucumber thoroughly so water does not dilute the lime dressing on the chicken.
