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Lao Fish Larb with Lemongrass Dressing

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A bright fresh dish of lightly blanched fish and fresh green herbs mixed with lime juice, lemongrass, fish sauce, shallots, chilis. Everything is mixed together to achieve a magic balance of sour, sweet, salty, hot (spicy) and bitter.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemongrass, white parts only, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons shallots, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
  • 12 red Thai bird chilis, or dried Thai chilis, seeds removed, chopped or Prik Bon chili powder
  • 3 cups watercress, whole leaves, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup cilantro, fresh, whole leaves, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 lb white fish, cod or tilapia, sliced
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2” pieces
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground roasted rice (See Note) (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, mix together lime juice, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, shallots, salt and chili. Let sit.
  2. Put watercress, cilantro and mint into a medium bowl.
  3. In a small saucepan, boil 3 inches of water with 1 stalk lemongrass, place the fish into the boiling water, turn off the heat. Let sit 3-4 minutes until fish is cooked.
  4. Toss greens with lime-lemongrass dressing and roasted rice (if using).
  5. Add fish and mix gently.
  6. Serve immediately.

Notes

To Make Roasted Ground Rice: Put 1 ½ tablespoons of uncooked rice (sticky rice if available) in a skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until the rice is uniformly browned (about 8-10 minutes). If the rice smokes as it is toasting, turn the heat down a little. Remove from the heat and let the rice cool. Grind the roasted rice in a clean coffee grinder, or do it by hand using a mortar and pestle. Use the coffee grinder for only a few seconds; do not let the flour become too fine. The finished product should be a slightly grainy powder. Rice flour can be stored in an airtight container for several months.