A tart, fiery, aromatic, and salty dish from the Isaan region of Thailand. This minced duck salad is traditionally served with sticky rice and can be enjoyed as part of a meal.
Laap Pet Isaan
Laap Pet Isaan, also known as Isaan Minced Duck Salad, is a traditional dish from the Isaan region of Thailand. It’s a tart, fiery, aromatic, and salty dish that’s typically served with sticky rice. The preparation can take up to two weeks in advance, but the result is a flavorful and satisfying meal that’s worth the effort.
Ingredients
Galangal Paste: * 1 oz unpeeled garlic cloves * 1 oz unpeeled Asian shallots * 1 (14-gram) piece peeled fresh or frozen (not defrosted) galangal, cut against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Duck: * 1 (5 1/2-ounce) piece skinned duck breast (or meat cut from duck legs)
Skin and Offal (Optional): * 2 oz duck skin reserved from the breast or leg * 1 oz mixed duck liver and heart * A few dashes Thai fish sauce
Laap: * 1 tbsp vegetable oil * 6 dried Thai chiles, fried * 2 tbsp lime juice (preferably from Key limes or spiked with a small squeeze of Meyer lemon juice) * 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce * 1/2 tsp granulated sugar * 14 g peeled small shallots, preferably Asian, or very small red onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced with the grain (about 2 tablespoons) * 7 g thinly sliced lemongrass (tender parts only), from about 1 large stalk (about 1 tablespoon) * 1 tbsp Khao Khua (Toasted-sticky rice powder), plus a large pinch for finishing * 1 tbsp Phrik Phon Khua (Toasted-chile powder) * 1 tbsp fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves (stems removed if thick), very lightly packed * 2 tbsp very thinly sliced green onions, lightly packed * 2 tbsp thinly sliced sawtooth herb, very lightly packed * 2 tbsp very coarsely chopped cilantro (thin stems and leaves), lightly packed * 2 tbsp mint leaves (the smaller the better), very lightly packed, torn at last minute if large
Directions
Make the galangal paste:
- Grill the galangal until cooked through and dry on both sides, but not brown (about 5 minutes).
- Grill the garlic and shallots until slightly charred and soft (about 20 minutes).
- Pound the galangal in a granite mortar to a fairly smooth, fibrous paste, then add the garlic and shallots and pound until fully incorporated. You’ll need 1 tablespoon for this recipe.
Chop the duck: 1. Chop the duck meat into 1-inch-thick slices, then use a heavy knife or cleaver to chop the duck until the meat looks like a coarse tartar.
Prepare the skin (optional): 1. Combine the skin, liver, heart, and fish sauce in a small pot with enough water to cover them. 2. Simmer until the skin is slightly translucent and soft enough to easily slice, then thinly slice the heart and cut the liver into small bite-size pieces. 3. Slice the skin into thin 2-inch-long strips.
Cook and serve:
- Heat a wok or pan over high heat, add the oil, and swirl to coat the wok.
- Add the chopped duck meat and 1 tablespoon of the galangal paste.
- Stir-fry until the duck is just barely cooked through.
- Remove the wok from the heat, add the fried chiles, lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar, then return the wok to the high heat.
- Cook at a vigorous simmer until the liquid is almost completely gone but the meat still looks moist.
- Let the mixture cool to just above room temperature in the wok.
- Add the duck skin and offal (if using), shallots, lemongrass, rice powder, chile powder, kaffir lime leaf, and 1 tablespoon of each of the remaining herbs to the wok.
- Stir well, then transfer the laap to a plate and sprinkle on the remaining herbs and rice powder, and serve.
- The preparation for this dish can take up to two weeks in advance, but the result is a flavorful and satisfying meal that’s worth the effort.
- The off-cuts-the bits of skin, intestines, and liver-that you’d find in Thailand in the minced meat provide a richness and textural variety that I miss in most American versions. If you’re up for it, I recommend using just 4 ounces of duck meat and supplementing it with a generous ¹/4 cup of prepared offal and skin.
- You can store the galangal paste in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. It helps to freeze the paste in small portions in airtight containers.
- If you’d like, you can store the chopped duck meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
- Substitute other meats in place of the duck—for instance, chicken, beef, or pork.