Chicken

Laksa

Name: Laksa recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 dried red chillies; 4 bird’s-eye chillies; 5cm piece (25g) ginger, peeled, thinly sliced; 4 garlic cloves; 3 long green shallots; 3 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed, bottom 10cm only, cut into thirds; 1 tbs ground coriander; 2 tsp curry powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil; 4 tsp Thai shrimp paste; 225g fresh wide rice noodles; 800ml coconut milk; 3 cups (750ml) water or chicken stock; 2 tsp palm sugar or light brown sugar; 2 x chicken marylands (approx. 670 g); Fish sauce, to taste; 4 large soft-boiled eggs, halved; 2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into matchsticks; 115g bean sprouts, rinsed, drained; 1/4 bunch mint, leaves picked; 2 limes, cut into wedges; Sambal oelek, to taste

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by delicious. team

delicious. team

Aug 05, 2020

“Versions of this fragrant laksa paste are seen in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Southern Thailand. It is believed to have originated as a blend of Chinese ingredients and Southeast Asian cooking practices. Chinese wheat noodles can replace rice noodles, and seafood can be used to replace chicken," says Jenn Louis. You'll need a meat thermometer for this recipe. This is an edited extract from The Chicken Soup Manifesto by Jenn Louis (Hardie Grant, $45).

3 dried red chillies
4 bird’s-eye chillies
5cm piece (25g) ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves
3 long green shallots
3 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed, bottom 10cm only, cut into thirds
1 tbs ground coriander
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
4 tsp Thai shrimp paste
225g fresh wide rice noodles
800ml coconut milk
3 cups (750ml) water or chicken stock
2 tsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
2 x chicken marylands (approx. 670 g)
Fish sauce, to taste
4 large soft-boiled eggs, halved
2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
115g bean sprouts, rinsed, drained
1/4 bunch mint, leaves picked
2 limes, cut into wedges
Sambal oelek, to taste

Method

1.

Place the chillies, ginger, garlic, long green shallots, lemongrass, ground coriander, curry powder, cumin, 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil and shrimp paste in a blender and whiz until very fine. Set aside.
2.

Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with cold water, then place a plate on top of the noodles to keep them fully submerged. Soak for 15 minutes, then strain and set aside.
3.

Heat a large pot over high heat and add the remaining 65ml oil. Add the curry paste mixture and cook for 45 seconds, stirring the paste into the oil, until aromatic. Slowly whisk in the coconut milk, water or stock and palm sugar, then add the chicken and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until tender and the broth is very flavourful. The meat should separate from the end of the leg bone when cooked and a thermometer will read 74°C when inserted into the thickest part of the leg. Season to taste with fish sauce and salt. Add the noodles and cook for another 1-2 minutes until tender.
4.

Serve garnished with boiled egg, cucumber, bean sprouts, mint, lime wedges and sambal oelek.