Bryant Ng reinterprets the spicy Thai meat salad called larb with raw sushi-grade salmon. The result is light, bright and fiery, with heat from two kinds of chile: dried red and fresh Thai.
Slideshow: Healthy Thai Recipes
Recipe from Food & Wine America's Greatest New Cooks
How to Make It
In a blender, combine the lime juice with the fish sauce, sugar, cilantro stem, soy sauce, garlic, Thai chile and half of the dried red chile. Puree until the dressing is smooth.
In a medium pot of salted boiling water, blanch the green beans until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool under running water; pat dry. Thinly slice the beans on the diagonal. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced beans with the cabbage and 1 teaspoon of the dressing; season with salt.
In another medium bowl, toss the salmon with the shallot, scallion, cilantro leaves, mint, rice powder and the remaining dried red chile. Stir in the remaining dressing and season with salt. Spoon the salmon tartare onto plates and serve the green beans and cabbage alongside.
Notes
Roasted rice powder, known as khao kua pon in Thailand, is available at Asian markets, but you can also make it at home. In a skillet, toast raw white sticky (glutinous) rice over moderately low heat, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and let cool completely, then grind to a powder. The rice powder can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months.