Reconstructed Larb
Foreword
One of Chris’s signature dishes, this is an easier to assemble and eat variation of the Southeast Asian dish. We promise it tastes way better than the name implies. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 500g (~¾ head) shredded purple cabbage
- 1 lb (454g) ground turkey or chicken
- ¾ cup uncooked rice (2 ¼ cups cooked)
- 11 leaves of fresh mint
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup green onions, tops only
- 1 ½ tsp paprika (divided)
- 35 drops liquid smoke
- 1 ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ tsp salt (divided)
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 dashes fish sauce (or 1 tsp soy sauce)
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- Olive oil
- Sriracha
Directions
- Make 2 ¼ cups of rice (usually this means starting with ¾ cup of uncooked rice). Chris likes to add flavor and color with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp paprika. Mix in 1 Tbsp olive oil after cooking.
- Take out a big bowl.
- Put the rice into the bowl.
- Bring a pan to medium heat and then add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Sauté the ground poultry with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp of black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, 2 dashes of fish sauce or 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp basil, and 1 tsp oregano.
- Once cooked through, put the ground poultry into the bowl with the rice.
- Cut the purple cabbage in half and then shred 500g (or ~¾ of the cabbage) at a width of ~½cm (~¼ inch). A mandolin is an excellent tool for this.
- With the pan still on medium heat, again add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Sauté the cabbage with 1 tsp paprika, 35 drops of liquid smoke, 1 ½ tsp red pepper flakes, and ½ tsp salt.
- Cook the cabbage until al dente and then add it to the bowl with the ground poultry.
- Cut up the green onions (scissors work well) and add them to the bowl.
- Cut the fresh mint into thin strips and add it to the bowl (careful, this is a strong flavor but it should be a background flavor - mix and taste as you go).
- Pour the lemon juice over the bowl.
- Mix it up.
- Serve with sriracha on the side.