Thai Laap Plaa Tuna

After a much too long break, yesterday evening we finally chopped another Thai laap together with our friend Fischi. While shopping at the Asian store, we chose frozen tuna for the meat, so it became a Laap Plaa Tuna. The kilo of tuna was surprisingly cheap there, which was quickly explained later: after removing skin and bones, only about half a kilo of usable fish remained.

Since half a kilo is a little too little laap for three people, we mixed in a small salmon fillet as well. Next time, I would go straight for a tuna steak. With the laap we had a som tam and sticky rice, and once again it was a very delicious Thai cooking evening.

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Preparation

If none is left in stock, first prepare the roasted rice powder. Then squeeze the limes, mix the juice with fish sauce, and set this mixture aside. The mint and coriander can also already be plucked from their stems, finely chopped, and set aside.

Now remove bones and skin from the tuna and cut the fish into cubes. Cut the salmon fillet into cubes as well and mix them with the tuna.

Finally, peel and finely chop the galangal root. Then cut the lemongrass stalk into rings and chop those very finely too. Mix both well together.

Now the fish is chopped. For this, you need a sharp cleaver, a sturdy chopping board, and ideally a splash guard, otherwise fish pieces end up all over the kitchen. Fischi built the Laap chopping station for this.

Place some fish cubes on the board, mix them with the galangal-lemongrass mixture, and carefully chop until the fish has the consistency of minced meat. Put the chopped fish into a bowl and continue until everything is chopped.

Then remove stems from the Thai chilis and fry them together with the lime leaves in a pan or wok using the peanut oil. Be careful not to burn anything. Afterward, place both on kitchen paper and set aside.

Now add the chopped fish to the still hot pan and fry it in the remaining peanut oil for two to three minutes. Then deglaze with the lime-juice-fish-sauce mixture and let it simmer gently until almost all liquid has disappeared. Then put the fish into a shallow bowl and let it cool slightly.

Now peel the onion, cut it into fine rings, halve them if needed, add them to the bowl, and mix with the chopped fish.

Then add the chopped mint and coriander to the fish and mix everything well. Sprinkle the salad with roasted rice powder and chili powder and mix again. Finally, scatter the fried chilis and lime leaves over the salad and serve immediately.