Larb Bao
- 5 whole Chicken Thighs, Boneless And Skinless
- 1/2 cups Jasmine Rice
- 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
- 2 whole Shallots, Minced
- 1/2 cups Fresh Thai Basil Leaves, Chopped
- 2 whole Thai Chili Peppers, Minced
- 3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
- 1/2 Tablespoons Palm Sugar (or Granulated)
- 2 whole Limes, Juiced
- 1 teaspoon Salt To Taste
- 1 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper, To Taste
- 6 cups Thai Larb
- 1 package Frozen Chinese Bao (8-count Package, Found At Asian Grocery Store)
- 1/2 bunches Fresh Cilantro
- 1/2 cups Roasted Peanuts, Roughly Chopped
- First, make the larb.
- Get your grill going and get the coals nice and hot.
- Again, I used charcoal when cooking on the grill.
- Cooking over charcoal is desired for that smoky and char flavor you will not get from a gas grill.
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Throw them on the grill and cook them, flipping every few minutes until cooked through.
- This will probably take about 5 minutes per side but just make sure the juices run clear before you pull them off the grill.
- Remove chicken from the grill and chop it into small pieces.
- Set aside.
- Add about 1/2 cup of uncooked jasmine rice to a dry skillet over medium heat.
- Cook the rice for about 15 minutes, tossing it along the way.
- Your goal is to brown the rice to a deep, golden color.
- Once you get to that state, add the rice into a coffee grinder or blender.
- Pulse until you have a coarse powder.
- Youll need about 1/3 cup of this for the recipe.
- If you have extra you can discard it or use it for something elseor just throw it in!
- Add the oil into a large skillet and warm it to a medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is heated, add in the chopped chicken.
- Add in all of the remaining larb ingredients, and give it a good mix.
- If you are serving kids, I would suggest removing the chili peppers from this recipe, or divide the mixture before adding the chili peppers and just cook part of it with the peppers.
- I would recommend 1-2 chili peppers for the mild at heart, and 3-4 chili peppers for those who love the heat.
- Regardless if it is one chili or four, the balance is perfect.
- Once everything is heated through you can lower the heat to low just to keep warm.
- Next, steam your buns.
- They take about 11 minutes to fully steam, or follow the package instructions.
- I line some parchment paper in my two-tier steamer.
- Place as many buns as you can in there, cover it, bring to a boil, and steam.
- Your minced meat mixture should already be cooked, and warmed.
- Prepare the cilantro and peanuts.
- You can also use fresh mint if you want.
- Be creative.
- When the buns are done steaming, remove them from the steamer, place them in a bowl, and cover with a towel to keep them warm.
- To plate, open the bun, spoon in some of the Thai minced meat, add some cilantro and peanuts and you are on your way.
- I am not kidding when I tell you how awesome the bao is.
- If you have ever had one, you will most certainly agree.
- Its small, its light, and it is a bit sweet.
- Stuff away, and repeat.
- Go get more bao because it goes quick, and if you have kids like mine, they will be asking for more.
- Its that good.
- Give the bao a shot and let me know what you think.
- As always, enjoy the recipe.
chicken, jasmine rice, canola oil, shallots, fresh thai basil, peppers, fish sauce, sugar, whole limes, salt, black pepper, frozen chinese bao, cilantro, peanuts
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/larb-bao/ (may not work)