Thai Salmon Salad Phla Plaa Salmon
Salad with Salmon and Herbs
Some time ago I bought a block of frozen minced salmon from the Russian supermarket nearby. After it kept getting in the way in the freezer, I recently turned it into a Thai salad. But this time not a Laap Plaa Salmon like last time, but a salad in Phla style — with plenty of lemongrass and chili paste. Here is my recipe for Phla Plaa Salmon, a Thai salad I had never had before.
Ingredients for 2–3 servings
- 700g (24.7 oz) minced salmon
- one shallot
- three Thai chilies
- 4 stalks lemongrass
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 6 sprigs fresh mint
- two limes
- 2 tbsp chili paste in oil (Nam Prik Pao)
- 5 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
If the salmon is still frozen as mine was, it should be completely thawed first. If you have whole salmon fillets, you can also consider cutting them into bite-sized pieces instead of mincing them finely. That is certainly delicious as well.
Once the salmon is prepared, however you like, we can turn our attention to the remaining salad ingredients. First, peel the shallot and cut into thin rings. Then cut the Thai chilies into thin rings as well. Next comes the lemongrass, which we trim of its woody parts and also cut into rings. Place these three ingredients in a shallow bowl.
Now sear the salmon in plenty of oil in a pan on all sides until cooked through. Meanwhile, squeeze one of the two limes, and as soon as the salmon is done, deglaze it with the juice. Let it simmer briefly, then set the salmon aside to cool slightly.
In the meantime, fold the kaffir lime leaves in half, pull out the central stem, and cut the leaf halves into strips. Then pluck the mint leaves from their stalks and cut them into rough strips as well.
Next, squeeze the remaining lime and stir the juice together with the chili paste and fish sauce. Stir the sugar into this dressing until it has completely dissolved.
Now add the salmon to the bowl, mix with the remaining ingredients and the dressing until everything is evenly combined. Then add the mint and lime leaves and toss again. Finally, dust the salad with chili powder to taste.
My Thai Phla Plaa Salmon is ready!
