Soundtrack: Atlanta Monster Podcast: Episode 2
I don’t want to read your ramblings, I just want to make the recipe: Chicken Larb
Star Rating: Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This New Year’s resolution was meant to be 52 new recipes in one year. This week I’m working with a fairly flexible definition of new. Actually, technical definition is a little more accurate. And if Futurama taught us anything, it’s that being technically correct is the best kind of correct.
Have I ever used a recipe to make Chicken Larb before? I have not.
Have I previously thrown together something similar using a combination of mince, chilli, soy, lime, garlic, herbs, and onion, and then wrapped it in lettuce leaves to serve? Many, many, many times.
I would have (erroneously) called it sang choy bow as shorthand to describe delicious, fragrant, meaty goodness wrapped in lettuce leaves. This is both culturally insensitive and inaccurate as sang choy bow is of Cantonese origin and Larb is Thai. So that’s an active correction I will be making moving forward.
What I’m saying is I’m kind of cheating this week, as this dish wasn’t completely unknown to me. And you know what? I kind of don’t give a shit because it took a total of 10 minutes to make, the leftovers were even more delicious the next day *, and I will be making it to take to work for lunch, so those are all wins in my book.
[As an aside, the whole reason I went in this direction is because I had a glut of Thai basil thanks to my Aerogarden**, and there really aren’t a lot of recipes which use it outside of Larb and Gai Pad Krapow. If I hadn’t sworn off booze for 2018 I would have totally made this Thai Basil Daiquiri instead].
[Also, I’m aware that after stating last week that I don’t really care for chicken all that much, this is another recipe featuring chicken. I have no adequate response for my hypocrisy, but wanted to make a note that I’m aware of it].
* HOT TIP 1: Shred iceberg lettuce, coriander and Thai basil, top with some of the remaining pickled red onions, dump the warmed, leftover mince on top, and garnish with a healthy plop of chilli paste. I actually think it was better this way than in the wraps)
** HOT TIP 2: It’s awesome having fresh herbs available at all times, and not sobbing as you throw out the slimy remains of the expensive bunch of herbs you only used 1/10th of in that recipe last week, but they don’t warn you that the Aerogarden light is on for 17 hours a day, and that this light is bright enough to be seen from space.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Beed1Nhh4Rk/?taken-by=flooziemagoo
Flooziemagoo 