John’s pork laap
John and Lisa have a menu full of fresh and fragrant recipes in their Weekend Kitchen.
They start the day with a bake and it’s Lisa’s beautiful coconut angel food cake. Next John has some satay chicken noodles, just perfect for a quick midweek meal.
There’s a light and lovely tofu and vegetable broth - packed full of flavour. And finally a family favourite - spiced minced pork salad cups.
Pork lap
Serves 2
Ingredients
Pork laap
300g finely minced pork
180ml water
30ml fish sauce
The juice of 3 limes
8 red Thai shallots, peeled and sliced
Handful fresh mint, torn roughly by hand
Handful fresh coriander, torn roughly by hand
Handful fresh Thai basil, torn roughly by hand
2 tbsp roasted chilli powder
2 small chillies, seeds in, sliced
4 tbsp fried sticky rice (see below) Sticky rice
50g cooked rice (of any type)
100ml vegetable oil
Serving
Eighth of a round asian cabbage or iceberg lettuce
Some of the reserved herbs as above
Method
Pork laap
1. Heat a wok over a medium heat and simmer the pork with your water for 3 minutes or until cooked. Add in ¾ of your red chilli powder, mix it in to combine and then drain away any of your remaining liquid from the wok. Remove your wok from the heat and then add your spicy pork mixture into a large mixing bowl.
2. Just before serving, add your lime juice, the rest of the chilli powder and fish sauce to the pork and mix to combine. The flavour should be a balance of hot, salty & sour. Add a few extra drops of lime juice to sharpen and define the flavour if you want to. Finally add in your sliced shallots and fresh herbs and mix again.
3. Scatter some of the fresh herbs over the pork mixture and leave to sit for a few minutes.
Sticky rice
1. Meanwhile make the fried sticky rice. Heat the vegetable oil until it finishes shimmering (about 180°C), form your rice into little balls and then shallow fry in the oil. Fry for a couple of minutes until puffed up and golden then remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
2. It will puff up and fry and start to go light brown, turn and cook so each side is the same colour, about 5 minutes, drain on some kitchen paper.
Serving
1. Remove the leaves from your cabbage or iceberg lettuce, and add to a large platter along with some extra fresh herbs and your crispy rice on the side. Add your pork mince into your cabbage or lettuce cups and sprinkle with more herbs.