Thai chicken larb
I know it is so simple to buy the already minced up chicken but the problem is you do not know what you are getting and it often has loads of fat and a bit of gristle in it. Buy your own and then mince it up yourself.
Each serving provides 237kcal, 31g protein, 3g carbohydrate (of which 3g sugars), 11g fat (of which 2g saturates), 2g fibre and 2.3g salt.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 225g/8oz each), minced up in a food processor
- flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 lime, juice only
- 1 tsp caster, granulated or soft light brown sugar
- 3 spring onions, finely chopped
- 录 cucumber, finely diced
- 1-2 red chillies, finely sliced, seeds removed for less heat if preferred
- 1cm/陆in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 陆 bunch coriander, leaves and stalks roughly chopped (about 2 tbsp)
- 陆 bunch mint, leaves only, ripped
- 1 handful salted (but not dry roasted) peanuts (about 50g/1戮oz)
- 12 largish crisp iceberg lettuce leaves (cup-shaped are best)
Method
Drizzle the oil into a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the minced chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly and breaking it up as you do so, until it turns from pink to white. Cut a piece open to check it is cooked and then tip the chicken into a colander set over a bowl. Leave to cool for five minutes (so it doesn鈥檛 cause the herbs to wilt) while also allowing any excess liquid to drain off, if necessary.
Pour the fish sauce and lime juice into a large bowl and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Add the spring onions, cucumber, red chilli, ginger, coriander, all but a small handful of the mint leaves and the peanuts and stir together well. Tip the chicken in and toss it through. Taste it and check to see if it needs a little bit more of anything to get it just to your liking.
Arrange three lettuce leaves on each of four serving plates and place a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture into each one. Scatter the remaining mint leaves over to garnish and serve. The best way to eat these is to simply just pick a cup up with your hands and bite in.
