Archive for April, 2009
Larb´s are a type of Laotian meat salad. The most popular is made with beef which is best served raw, so freshness is very important. For those how shy away from raw meat dishes the beef can also be cooked (but where is the fun in that? 
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Other cooked Larbs include chicken, pork, venison and duck versions. Below is our version of Duck Larb, known locally as Larb P´het.
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Served with rice and fresh crispy vegetables this recipe is enough for 10 people, great if you are entertaining. You could halve or quarter the recipe if cooking for less. The ingredients list is long, but once everything is chopped and ready, the recipe is fairly easy.
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INGREDIENTS
The Herbs
10g Chopped Coriander (Cilantro)
15g Chopped Mint
25g Chopped Lemongrass, white part only
10g Shredded Kaffir Lime Leaves
140g Chopped Shallots
50g Chopped Spring Onion (Scallion) Tails
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The Seasonings
1 tbsp *Roasted Chilli Flakes
7 tbsp **Padek Liquid
5 Limes (juice only)
½ tbsp MSG (optional)
4 tbsp Ground Roasted Sticky Rice
40g Chopped Garlic
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* Dry Chillies that have been dry roasted in a hot pan, then coarsely ground in a spice blender of with a pestle and mortar.
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** Pieces of Padek that have been boiled with some added water, the bones removed and the liquid sieved. Fish Sauce can be used if Padek is unavailable, though the former is more flavoursome and preferred.
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The Meat
1 Whole Duck
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The Ducks that we use are packaged as “Peking Duck” and weigh 2.3kg. The skin, meat and innards are removed and finely chopped by hand and should yield:
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650g Duck Meat
80g Innards (Heart, Liver and Gizzards)
220g Skin
Keep the Carcass, Wings and Neck for another recipe.
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A strange title for a post, I know. 
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An Invertebrate is an animal without a backbone, hence Spineless. Now we all know that Mackerel, like all fish have bones. Now, to serve a fish without bones means filleting it, removing the meat from the spine then carefully extracting the bones. But what if we could serve it in its (almost) natural shape, but without the bones? 
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Boneless Mackerel.
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Of course, this isn´t a new idea. In fact I got the idea from Heston Blumenthal´s (perhaps the biggest ever) cookbook, The Big Fat Duck Cookbook.
In his book Heston includes his recipe for Sardine on Toast Sorbet. It wasn’t the Sorbet that got my attention, it was the marinated Mackerel that he served with it.
Following through the instructions was pretty easy. Basically you get the fresh fish, fillet it, marinade it for a short while then stick it back together again.
Sounds easy right?
Well, in order to “stick it back together” Heston used Transglutaminase. (What? I hear you ask…).
Transglutaminase or TG is manufactured by Ajinomoto and sold as “Activa”. The company Ajinomoto is usually associated with its manufacturing of MSG as well as other ingredients for the food processing sector.
TG is not something new. Companies have been using it for ages. Think Surimi (Crab Sticks), Chicken Nuggets or Fish Balls.
To cut a long story short, TG is an enzyme that is found in animals and some plants. In its manufactured state it allows us to “bind” proteins together, hence its nickname “Meat Glue“.
I had to get me some of this!.
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After contacting Ajinomoto directly, their European offices put me in touch with their Spanish distributor, Impex Quimica who are based in Barcelona.
My contact Santiago and I talked on the phone for quite a while. He explained that there were different types of TG that were used in the various food processing sectors. He also carefully explained how the enzyme worked and what possibilities that it had.
Their product is sold by the kilo, and it is not cheap, especially for a small restaurant kitchen. Their core business is with the mass production companies that fill our supermarket shelves.
TG is used to bind together “scraps” of meat, and when the enzyme had bonded the proteins, you are left with nice piece of rolled pork, chicken, beef etc… Like the nickname suggests, it glues the meat together.
I asked him whether they sold TG in more manageable sizes as a kilo would be way too much for my use (plus, once the packet is opened, it has a shelf life of about a month). Santiago told me that his company´s business wasn’t directed at restaurants, but he could possibly help me out someway or another.
Then he said that he would send me some samples to experiment with! I was over the moon with joy! What great service!. 
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A few days later three packets arrived containing 100g each of the three TG´s that we had discussed. I felt like a kid in a toy shop! 
The first thing that I did was try the “Invertebrate Mackerel”. Our fish was cleaned, filleted then marinated and after following the weight to TG ratio that Santiago had provided me with, I had my first success.
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Even if you look closely, you cannot see the where the two fillets have “bonded” in the centre.
With TG, the possibilities for are chef were endless and bound only by imagination.
Like the “kid in the toy shop” child in me, I began to play around and experiment with loads of other ideas.
Buoyed by the success of the boneless fish I tried my hand at “sticking” fish skin on meat.
Now that you know how to make your own Som Moo, let´s have a look at Nhem.
Often and incorrectly referred to as “Laotian Fried Rice” 
, Nhem is more akin to a “Laotian Rice Salad“. 
This seasoned rice dish can be served as a whole meal. We like to refry some of the rice crusts until they are extra crunchy and add these at the very last moment.
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The amount of Seasoning used really depends on your personal taste, so use our measurements as a guideline.
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INGREDIENTS
(serves 5-6)
350ml Coconut Milk*
60g Red Curry Paste
1 kg Cooked White Rice
80g Grated Coconut
15g Sugar
Pinch of Salt
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Corn Starch for dusting
3 Eggs, beaten
Oil for Deep Frying
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400g Chopped Som Moo (Fermented Pork)
100g Sliced Shallots
Approx 45ml freshly squeezed Lime Juice
Approx 45ml Fish Sauce
Chopped Coriander (Cilantro)
Chopped Mint
Dried Chillies
Crushed Peanuts
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*Coconut Milk is normally available in 400ml tins, do not shake the tin before opening, what you want is the thick creamy part.
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Som Moo is also known as Fermented or Soured Pork.
Som Moo can be found in many Asiatic stores, sometimes in small packets, sometimes in large blocks. It makes a great snack or can be used in other dishes such as one of my favourites, Nhem.
It can be eaten “as is”, or cooked, though the former is more preferred.
Most of the commercial Som Moo available contains preservatives and colourings, the latter making it an unusual (though aesthetic) pink.
Homemade Som Moo, like most homemade things is far better. You get a great sense of achievement eating something that you made yourself, or for your friends. 
I posted an LCTV video some time ago and will now follow it up with a step-by-step photo recipe for your reading and eating pleasure. 
The recipe is pretty straight forward (there are only 6 ingredients), the important part is in the technique and method.
In this recipe I will talk you through the various ingredients and how to prepare them. Some of the ingredients need to be prepared in advance, and after making the Som Moo you should allow three days for it to ferment in a warm dark place. After that it can be kept chilled in the fridge, which will slow down the fermentation process but will not stop it, hence it should be consumed within a week or so.