Cook Time 45 minutes
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 duck breasts, skin on
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp Sichuan pepper, toasted and ground
2 tbsp short grain rice, toasted and ground into a coarse powder
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sunflower or other neutral oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, white tender part only, finely shredded
4 makrut lime leaves
200g snake or green beans, cut into 2 cm lengths
2 tbsp shallots, sliced and fried, plus extra to garnish
1 green mango, cut into julienne
Handful of coriander, leaves picked
Handful of mint, leaves picked
Handful of Thai basil, leaves picked
Rice, roasted and ground
2 tbsp peanuts, toasted
Chilli and Lime Dressing
2 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp caster sugar
Juice of 2 limes
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
To Serve
2 tbsp garlic, sliced and fried
Method
Place the duck breasts on a wire rack and pat dry if needed; season with white pepper and Sichuan pepper. Let them dry in the fridge, preferably for 24 hours, for crisper skin (optional). For dressing, combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Place the duck skin-side down in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Fry until the skin is golden and crisp, approx. 8–10 minutes depending on the thickness. Flip over and continue to cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the duck to rest in the pan, with an internal temperature of approx. 58°C.
Place the lemongrass and makrut leaves in the mortar and pestle and bruise lightly; add the beans and sliced shallots and repeat; add the dressing and let steep for 5 minutes.
In another bowl, add mango, herbs, roasted ground rice and peanuts. Slice the duck thinly and reserve any juices from the plate.
Combine all these ingredients and toss together gently. Place a neat pile of the laab onto a large plate and sprinkle generously with fried shallots and garlic. Serve.
*Note: The fresh herbs and vegetables can be varied or reduced based on availability; papaya, banana flowers, shiso, betel leaves, spring onions, and snow peas are all great options.
