Recipes from Daen's Dream kitchen

Some winning Lao/Vietnamese recipes from Daen. These were a hit in her cooking class...

Laab Kai ( minced chicken salad)

Note: Lao people chop the meat finely by hand to a mince-like texture. This allows it to be aerated to create a fluffy kind of texture. The roasted rice is sticky rice which is roasted until burnt, then crushed. Breadcrumbs can be used instead.

Ingredients:
150g boiled roughly minced chicken (pork or tofu can be substituted)
1teaspoon of ground chilli (or to taste-fresh if desired)
2 teaspoons ground rice (see above - or dry breadcrumbs)
5 finely sliced shallots
3 finely sliced spring onions
2 long beans thinly sliced
handful of sprouts
1/2 -1 tablespoon fish sauce ( for vego use soy)
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar (if desired)
7-8 mint leaves
2 tablespoon finely sliced coriander leaves
lettuce/chinese cabbage/cucumber/long beans/spring onion to serve

Method:Instead of oil, put a little water in the pan first, then cook off the meat, til dry. Put aside when cooked, allow to cool.
Add the chilli, sugar, sprouts, shallots, spring onions, long beans, fish sauce, lime juice, roast rice...toss through.
Add mint leaves and coriander, toss again.
Serve with platter of greens.

Ginger Chicken (simple and delicious)

Ingredients:
vegetable oil
couple of knobs of garlic
sliced fresh ginger
1 tblsp fish sauce
1 tblsp oyster sauce
1 teasp sugar
pepper
large red chilli
green capsicum
quarter of an onion
3 spring onions
a cup of chopped chicken

Method: heat oil, cook off garlic and ginger. Add chicken and cook. Add fish sauce and oyster sauce, sugar, pepper to taste. Throw in the rest of the ingredients. Deglaze with a little water (a tablsp or so).

Vietnamese Noodle Soup (Fer)
Ingredients:

375g rice noodles or vermicelli noodles
6 cups of chicken stock
2 red chillies
a few sticks of fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup lime juice
1-2 tablesp fish sauce
1 teasp sugar
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tomato, sliced
chives
a few thai basil leaves
3 sprigs coriander- pick leaves to serve and add tied cut roots to stock
450g chicken (trimmed,sliced)
1 bunch bok choy, trimmed
bean sprouts
crispy garlic
coriander leaves to serve
1 red chilli, sliced to serve

Method:
Soften the noodles in boiling water. Drain and put aside.
To the simmering pot of chicken stock, add a quarter of the sliced onion, fish sauce, ginger and chicken slices. Add sugar and coriander roots. Skim the scum from surface.
Place serves of noodles in bowls with bean sprouts, tomato slices, chives, basil leaves, coriander...Add crispy garlic, then pour over liquid. Serve with platter of greens, chilli, etc