W H A T I S T H E P L A R B L E M ?
i love larb + will always order it for takeout when the itch needs scratching.
but i’m a farmer’s market person, + i have a garden. so it’s fun to keep it really seasonal using the freshest vegetables available.
so i made a version.
+ then i made a million more.
this is really a base recipe - use it with chicken, shrimp, + any number of crunchy veggies.
it is the seasonal gift that keeps on giving. cannot stop eating this.
CHICKEN LARB
serves 4-6
for the marinade + dressing:
1/3 cup good quality maple syrup (i know. it’s not authentic at all, but we’re just looking for a sweetening agent here - you can use palm sugar or coconut sugar if you want to get on your high horse. I like using maple b/c it gives a bit more depth, i know what i’m getting quality-wise, + it’s easy to whisk in and incorporate.)
1/2 cup fish sauce
1 thumb size nob of ginger grated
2 good cloves of garlic grated
1 handful of finely sliced cilantro stems
2 birds eye chilis or Serranos thinly sliced
2 glugs of olive oil
2 limes juiced - just squeeze ‘em!
1 shallot minced
pinch of salt + 2 grinds of pepper
healthy slosh of whatever white wine you’re drinking right now - as long as it’s dry - about 1/4 cup
save a 1/4 cup of this marinade for the salad dressing
the rest of it
2 skinless chicken breasts minced into roughly 1/4 inch pieces
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs minced into 1/4 inch pieces
cabbage is the springboard here and anything else goes - the beauty of this is not only how delicious it is, but it’s a great way to use all kinds of bright seasonal ingredients, + it’s a great way to empty out your fridge. just keep it fresh, herbaceous, + crunchy.
here’s one rule though:
the crunchiest of crunchy stuff needs to marinate in the dressing for a second to balance out - especially things like fennel.
here’s a few things that i like:
baby bok choy - slice the bottoms like celery ribs, leave larger leaves more intact
carrots thinly sliced lengthwise
all the herbs like basil + cilantro + shiso + oregano + chives
radishes cut into matchsticks
but you can also use things like
celery curls
arugula
turnips
it really doesn’t matter as long as it’s crunchy and delicious
however, this is definitely not the arena for limp doodle leafy greens. this is the realm of the super crunchy that can handle a heavy amount of dressing.
okay. so reserve a little bit of the marinade for your salad dressing - about a 1/4 cup max. dump the rest on the chicken bits, toss well - coating all the bits, + let marinate for at least 40 minutes.
set your cast iron skillet up to be non stick - give it a glug of olive oil and get it ripping hot until the oil is lightly smoking - wipe the oil out with a paper towel and slightly lower the heat - 75%
give the skillet a fresh glug of olive oil, a pinch of salt, crank the heat to 100%, + add the minced chicken.
hopefully, you’ll get some good color on your first sear - if not, don’t sweat it.
let the chicken sit on that heat for at least 6 minutes before stirring. then lower the heat to 60%.
toss your greens - cabbage first - in the remaining marinade.
plate the chicken and the salad together in a bowl side by side and finish with a drizzle of bright green olive oil, crunchy sea salt, + a few cracks of pepper.
i strongly recommend enjoying this with highly acidic or mineral-driven white wine like Riesling or Fiano.