laap pet

You might be forgiven for thinking that we only eat pasta. You might also think that Tasmania is cold and it would be too hard to grow the right things for, say, a Thai laap salad. Not so.
When we were in Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) some years ago we ate a delicious laap made with duck. Apparently duck is the more traditional meat for this salad. I have been meaning to make a duck (pet means duck in Thai - they're not really our pets) laap for ages but only got around to it now.


The duck breasts, partially thawed, are much easier to mince. I use a sharp chinese cleaver and chop seeking a coarse mince.


The most critical ingredient in laap, I think, is roasted rice powder. Toast some rice in a dry pan and then pulverise it.


In a pan on medium heat, cook (don't fry it should start stewing in its own juices) the duck with sliced lemongrass, chopped garlic and a pinch of sugar. Just as it's cooked, add quite a bit of roasted rice powder stir through and remove from the heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. Transfer to bowl and dress to taste with fish sauce, lemon juice ( should be limes but our tree is a few years off production yet), black pepper. Toss through some sliced onion, chopped mint and coriander and then spoon it over torn lettuce leaves (we used green mignonette and red oak). I sprinkled over the duck skin which I sliced and turned into duck crackling. This is not traditional but I wanted to use the skin and, I think, it's a great addition. It's best served over steamed sticky (glutinous) rice with lots of chopped chillis and consumed with cold, home-brewed beer.