Sa pa, also called koy pa, is a raw fish salad marinated in lemon juice. In Laos, it is very appreciated to use carp (pa keng cirrhinus molitorella, pa va labeo dyocheilus, ...) for this dish. Pangasius or perch are also suitable. Sa pa is a variety of lap. Lap is always served with a plate of raw vegetables and generally a tangy soup.
For 4 persons
Ingredients
600 g fish fillet, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons ground toasted rice
100 g green beans, minced
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
2 tablespoons minced shallot
4 tablespoons minced green onion
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons minced mint
2 Kaffir lime leaves, minced
4 chili peppers, chopped (optional)
Method
Marinate the pieces of fish fillet with the lemon juice and fish sauce for 30 minutes.
Squeeze the fish to extract all the juice from the marinade.
Bring the juice to the boil in a small saucepan and allow to cool.
In a bowl, mix the fish, juice and ground toasted rice.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix again.
