Duck larb

The texture, particularly the crunch, and the combination of sweet sour and salt is sensational.

Credit: Far Flung with Gary Mehigan

• serves

  4

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

There is no doubt that a good larb is a little complex, with lots of ingredients, but with bags of flavour, it’s worth the effort. Lemongrass, lime leaves and good fish sauce are essential elements along with the roasted rice, which is what larb is all about.

 

 

Ingredients

• ¼ cup short grain rice
• 2 lemons
• 1 banana flower
• 2 duck breasts, plus extra skin if available
• 2 tsp prickly ash or szechuan pepper
• pinch salt
• ½ tbsp castor sugar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 chilli, finely sliced, including seeds
• 1 cm galangal, peeled
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• small handful mint, picked
• small handful coriander, leaves picked
• small handful Thai basil, leaves picked
• 3 saw tooth coriander sprigs, leaves picked
• 2 banana shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 lime leaves, shredded finely
• 2 spring onion, white and light green parts only, finely sliced
• 2 stalks lemongrass, tender white part only, finely shredded
• 2 tbsp fried garlic
• 2 tbsp fried shallots
• 1 tbsp peanuts, toasted

Instructions

Place the rice into a small non-stick pan and place over a medium heat. Toast the rice slowly, stirring or tossing regularly to ensure the rice cooks evenly, for 5-6 minutes or until the rice is a light golden brown.  Cool and pound in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Set aside.

Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice of 1½ lemons into a large bowl of water. Throw in the squeezed half lemons. With the remaining half lemon squeeze and rub the juice over the chopping board and blade of the knife.

To prepare the banana flower, remove the tough outer leaves of the blossom and discard them. Gently reveal the undeveloped banana layer by layer, discarding the long stamen.  Rub any cut or torn surfaces with the lemon half as you go, as they will oxidize and go dark brown quickly. Stack the leaves and shred finely with a sharp knife placing into the lemon water immediately to prevent the banana flower from discolouring. Set aside for 15 minutes in the fridge. Drain onto paper towel when ready to use.

Score the duck breast lightly with the tip of a sharp knife on a 45-degree angle, taking care to score only the skin. Pound the prickly ash into a powder in a mortar and pestle, then lightly season the duck breast with the prickly ash and a pinch of salt. Heat a good non-stick pan over a medium heat. Place the duck breast skin side down into the pan and cook gently for 15 minutes or until the skin is crisp and the fat has rendered. Flip the duck over and cook for another two minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to rest for 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the sugar and lime juice into a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar. Finely grate the chilli and galangal (with a microplane if you have one) and add to the bowl. Add the fish sauce and stir to combine.

Slice the duck as finely as you can and place onto a paper towel to soak away any juices. Place all the herbs, banana shallots, toasted rice, lime leaf, spring onions, drained banana leaves and lemongrass into a large bowl, add the duck slices and toss to combine. Drench with the dressing, scatter with crisp garlic, shallots and peanuts and serve into a large serving bowl.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

There is no doubt that a good larb is a little complex, with lots of ingredients, but with bags of flavour, it’s worth the effort. Lemongrass, lime leaves and good fish sauce are essential elements along with the roasted rice, which is what larb is all about.