Wild Duck Larb

Michael Gordon

Ingredients:

1. One wild duck cleaned and split. (Substitute, pork, beef, venison or goose)
2. One small red onion chopped fine
3. One sprig of fresh mint (4-6) leaves

4.1/2 cup bunch fresh cilantro

5. one tbs. chopped Thai chili or jalapeno
6. One lime.

7.1 cup chopped green onion, tsp chopped garlic.

8.1/4 cup fish sauce

9. 2 -Tbs roasted rice powder. (Available on line or in an Asian market).
10. One chopped, seeded and peeled medium cucumber

Method:

Grill or roast the duck to medium, medium rare. Remove the meat from the bones and chop it finely with a clever or food processor. Place finely chopped meat in bowl with all the juice and drippings. Sprinkle lightly with pepper. Chop the mint and the cilantro and add it to the meat. Toss in the onion, cucumber, chili peppers and green onion. Mix well adding the rice powder then squeeze the lime over the mixture. Finally add the fish sauce. Mix again very well.

Cover this mixture and refrigerate for an hour to let all the flavors mingle together. Then let it come to room temperature before eating. When serving this dish it is very popular to serve with some sticky rice or wrap the meat salad in a lettuce leaf and eat like a wrap or roll-up. A nice touch is to add a side of Cole slaw or fresh sliced vegetables as an accompaniment.

You can make the dish as spicy as you want by controlling the amount of chili peppers. The fish sauce adds saltiness not a fishy taste. The cucumber adds coolness and a nice crunch. You can eat the Larb as a main dish or a side dish.

But I know either way you will enjoy this Laotian national dish