Turkey Larb

Turkey Larb

Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice, from about 5 limes
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from
1 large lemon
2 tablespoons honey

Larb:
3 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
½ red onion, diced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 (4”) piece lemongrass, minced (about ¼ cup)
1 Thai chile, such as prik kee noo or 1 serrano chile, stemmed & thinly sliced
Sea salt
1 ½ pounds ground turkey
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

To Serve:
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
Sticky rice (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime & lemon juice, fish sauce and honey. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots, lemongrass, chile and salt, to taste. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat and vegetables are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the dressing to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mint. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon the turkey mixture onto the lettuce leaves and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with sticky rice.

Larb is a dish of ground meat, flavored with lime juice and fish sauce and various other ingredients such as chili and mint. It strikes a balance of hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty and bitter and is usually served with sticky rice. It originates in Laos where it is the unofficial national dish. Laos is Thailand’s Northeastern neighbor and has heavily influenced Thai cuisine in that area. It is also known as laap, larp or laab and is often found on menus in Thai restaurants here in the states.

Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, Giada at Home, FoodNetwork.com