

When you experiment with various herb combinations, remember that you’re looking for a combination that tastes like a harmonious whole that is greater than the individual components. thyrsiflora) instead of sweet basil, and you can add scallions, mint, ginger, or galangal. You can be creative with the herbs, using holy basil ( Ocimum tenuiflorum) or Thai basil ( Ocimum basilicum var. You can use any meat in place of the pork you can also try non-meat proteins as well. Serve with rice and contrasting dishes.Finally, add the aromatics (#4) and stir until the herbs are wilted and soft, about another minute or so. Add the shallots and chiles (#3) and let everything cook for another minute, stirring constantly.Then pour the sauce (#2) over the pork and stir on high heat until the liquid is boiling. Add the ground pork (#1) and stir fry until the pink color is just gone, about two minutes. Then add 2 Tbsp peanut oil and swirl it around. Heat your wok on medium heat until hot but not smoking.2 cups basil leaves, torn into 2″ pieces 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped.1 medium shallot and 3 green chiles, sliced into similarly sized pieces (see the note about selecting your chiles, above).4 Tbsp lime juice, 2 Tbsp fish sauce, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.

Meanwhile, if you’re used to the Chinese style of dining, you can just spoon some laarb into your rice bowl and just eat it with chopsticks. (Keep in mind that Thai people often eat with a spoon as the main utensil, alongside a fork that’s used to guide food onto the spoon.) Another common way to serve would be on top of a fried egg, which in turn is on top of a plate of rice. This is an easy and yet impressive way to add something unusual to your meal.Īnother way is to spoon some laarb onto a plate of rice and use a spoon to bring tasty bites of rice and pork to your mouth. One common way is to serve with lettuce leaves, so that diners can scoop some pork into a leaf and wrap it up, making a kind of instant spring roll. There are a few different ways to serve this dish, all “authentic” depending on the circumstances. You can even make a fully vegetarian version of this recipe by eliminating the chicken altogether, switching to vegetable stock, and adding enough tofu skins to make a good-sized finished dish. Therefore, one simple variation would be to change the ratio of the tofu skins to chicken depending on your personal preference. VARIATIONS: When you taste this dish, you’ll love the texture of the tofu skins and how they carry the flavors of the sauce. Garnish with chopped scallions serve with rice and contrasting dishes.Add the tofu skins (#4) to the pot when there’s about 45 minutes left. Then pour in the braising liquid (#3) and boil gently for about an hour and a half, until you can pull the meat off the bone with chopsticks.Toss in the chiles, star anise, cassia bark, and crushed garlic (#2) and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.Swirl it around and then add the chicken legs (#1). Heat 2 Tbsp peanut oil in your braising pot until shimmering.Tofu skins, reconstituted in hot water for about 30 minutes and then cut into bite-sized pieces, to make about 1/2 cups total.4 cups chicken broth (or to enough to cover the legs in the braising pot), 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup Shaoxing rice wine.10-15 dried Thai chili peppers, 4 star anise, 5 pieces cassia bark, 6 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed).Cook gently for another hour and a half, until the meat can be pulled off the bone with chopsticks. Browned chicken with garlic cloves, cassia bark, star anise, and dried Thai chile peppersĪll that’s left is to add the braising liquid of chicken stock, soy sauce, and Shaoxing rice wine (绍兴酒), and the tofu skins.
