This dish can be prepared with pork or chicken. Lap kai is traditionally made with a whole poultry. It is easier to take just a few selected pieces. A lap is always served with a plate of raw vegetables and generally a tangy soup.
For 4 people
Ingredients 500 g boned chicken with skin on or pork shoulder 100 g gizzard or chicken heart 1 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsps lemon juice 3 tbsps fish sauce 2 tbsps ground toasted rice 2 tbsps minced lemongrass 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsps thinly sliced shallot 3 tbsps minced green onion 3 tbsps chopped cilantro 3 tbsps minced mint 3 tbsps minced Vietnamese mint 3 tbsps thinly sliced banana bud 4 chillies, chopped (optional)
Method Cut the meat into cubes of about 3 cm then season with the soy sauce. In a non-stick skillet, cover the meat over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Reserve the cooking juices and coarse chop the meat. Cook the gizzard or the heart for 20 minutes in salted water. Drain and thinly slice the giblets. In a salad bowl, combine the meat, giblets, cooking juices, lemon juice, fish sauce and ground toasted rice. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix again.
"A variation is to use duck instead of chicken".
Lap pet - Duck salad is traditionally made with a whole duck. The skin, meat and offal are intended for the lap and the carcass is used to prepare the tangy soup accompanying the dish. For this variant, use 500 g of duck breast with skin instead of chicken, grilled for 10 to 15 minutes on each side then sliced.
