Chicken Laab Salad

Laab Gai ลาบไก่

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon peanut oil

500g boneless skinless chicken thighs (gài  ไก่)

2 tablespoon roasted rice powder ( you can make your own by roasting raw rice in a dry wok untll brown and grind in mortar and pestle) (kâao ข้าว)

1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (pàk-chii ผักชี)

½ cup roughly torn Thai basil leaves (hǒo-rá~paa โหระพา)

1 stem lemon grass (dtà~krái ตะไคร้), pale section only, finely chopped

1 fresh long green chilli, finely chopped  (prík-chíi-fáa พริกชี้ฟ้า)

60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lime juice  (nám má~naao น้ำมะนาว)

2 shallots, chopped (dtôn-hɔ̌ɔm ต้นหอม)

2 tablespoons chopped Thai shallots (hɔ̌ɔm-dɛɛng หอมแดง)

3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (sà~rá~nɛ̀ɛ สะระแหน่)

2 tablespoons lime juice or to taste (nám má~naao น้ำมะนาว)

2  tablespoons fish sauce or to taste (nám-bplaa น้ำปลา)

¼ tsp white sugar (nám-dtaan น้ำตาล)

1 tsp chilli powder (or to taste) (prík-bpòn พริกป่น)

1 tsp finely grated lime rind (bplʉ̀ʉak má~naao เปลือกะนาว)

Baby cos lettuce leaves (pàk-gàat ผักกาด)

40g (1/4 cup) finely chopped roasted peanuts (tùua-lí-sǒng ถั่วลิสง)

Method:

Step 1

Cut chicken thighs into small cubes. Then use a cleaver to pound the chicken into mince Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add half the chicken mince, lemon grass and chilli and stir-fry, breaking up any lumps, for 3-4 minutes or until it  is cooked. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil, chicken, lemon grass and chilli, reheating the wok between batches. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 2

Whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, chilli powder and lime rind in a small bowl until well combined. Drizzle the chicken mixture with the dressing. Add the onion, coriander, basil, lime rind, rice powder, mint and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust flavour balance.  Spoon the chicken mixture among lettuce leaves and sprinkle with peanuts to serve.