Lauren and I are working on our next cookbook, and just started testing recipes again — me doing the easy ones, Lauren stuck with the hard ones. One of the very easy ones I’ve tested is this pla rah sub (minced fermented Thai anchovy), which is also known among Isan-ers as jaew bong, and even larb pla rah. The only thing you have to do is put your back into it, literally, while you are chopping up this mince into beyond-tartare near-infinitesimal pieces. You want to think of yourself as a super-ninja dealing with their vanquished foe, but maybe that imagery isn’t very appetizing; think more super-ninja preparing a well-earned breakfast.
If you don’t like to make this yourself and live in Thailand (and why would you prepare this yourself, if you live in Bangkok or Isan), then get yourself to your local market or Bangkok’s Aor Tor Kor, where my mother’s favorite vendor sells a great version of this dish. No real need to turn your biceps into jelly unless you really, really need to!
Pla Rah Sub aka Jaew Bong aka Larb Pla Rah
Makes 4. You can eat this with sticky or regular rice, steamed and/or boiled veggies, any kind of fresh leaf like pennywort, mango leaves or even plain lettuce.
Ingredients:
1.75 ounces (50g) pla rah marinated for at least 6 months in salt (or anchovies)
2 tablespoons tamarind juice or crushed tamarind pods
2 tablespoons kaffir lime leaves, chiffonaded
2 tablespoons lemongrass, sliced
2 tablespoons galangal, sliced
2 tablespoons dried red chilies, sliced
1 tablespoons red shallots, sliced
1 tablespoons garlic, crushed
You can sear the pla rah lightly in a pan or use as is. Start by mincing finely with chilies, then add sliced galangal and mince further. The point is to mince it as finely as you can until everything is well incorporated and resembles baby food or a very fine tartare. You will notice that by now a nice, fragrant aroma is emerging from your mush. Add kaffir lime leaves and repeat the process. Then tamarind, then shallots. You are like Sisyphus, but with a cleaver instead of a boulder, and with the reward of a delicious dip at the end. Continue until everything is incorporated.
Scrape into a bowl and serve as part of an Isan meal of grilled meat, soup and sticky rice, or with fresh or boiled vegetables and eggs.
Bangkok Glutton 