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Salmon larb is a fresh twist on a fiery hot and sour salad, renowned in the northeastern Isan Thai provinces but originally from neighbouring Laos. While Thai larb gai - made with ground chicken - is perhaps the most iconic version, this salmon variation brings a rich, vibrant update to the classic. Like the traditional, it’s flavoured with nam pla (Thai fish sauce), zesty lime juice and fresh herbs, then tossed with finely sliced shallots and toasted rice powder for signature texture and punch. The flavoursome minced chicken salad, which is eaten cold, is then ramped up with the heat of fresh chilli and chilli flakes. It is a serious eat and not for the faint hearted. It’s spicy, zingy, zesty and fresh! And can be made with multiple choices of proteins such as pork, turkey, duck, beef, shrimp, fish and even algae.
Salmon larb with a celebratory twist
For this fish version of larb we are using a side of salmon that is grilled under a very hot heat for a small amount of time so that we retain a beautifully raw pink meat that would be more associated with sashimi but with just the right amount of cooking so that we have succulent flakes we can pull apart and coat with the delicious dressing.
Historically, loatians would reserve larb or laab for celebratory occasions such as weddings, ceremonies and festivals. It would have been more common for the aristocracy but because meat was in short supply most people would have served this on the rare occasions and especially New Year where it was considering an auspicious dish to bring good fortune for the coming year. Families would have observed an almost ceremonial procedure for the preparation whereby the woman of the households would chop up the ingredients, with the honour of the final mixing of the dish passed to the head of the household before serving. A bit of theatre perhaps to re-create for guests at your own table, but of course, with the ingredients so easily sourced there’s no need to wait for a celebration to make this, although it is still good enough for one.
The inspiration behind our salmon larb
Fish larb which traditionally uses boiled fish native to south east asia is also a very popular version of this salad. laab diip, a raw version of the salad which generally uses fresh beef and therefore not too dissimilar from a steak tartare using these wonderful aromatic and spicy asian flavours, is more of the direction we wanted to go with for this salmon larb recipe.
Introducing salmon as our main ingredient, we very much had the inclination to use completely raw salmon for our version of a fish larb, and drawing inspiration from a raw larb diip. This would involve marinating salmon sashimi in the spicy dressing where the lime inside would end up cooking the fish, much more along the lines of a Thai inspired ceviche. That would be certainly very nice and definitely a dish for another day.
The secret to that soft, flaky centre in salmon larb
However, for this version of a salmon larb we are using a technique that keeps the salmon wonderfully orangy pink and oily in the middle and with an opaqueness just creeping in from the edges via a high heat from a hot grill. This way the flakes can be easily pulled apart so that it retains a rustic appearance, something you simply can’t do with fully raw salmon.
To create this fabulous medium-rare to rare texture for the salmon without the need for a sous vide (which creates a very similar finish but takes quite a bit longer), simply brush some olive oil over the skin and sprinkle with salt. Then place it under a preheated 250°C (480°F) grill for 6 minutes for a 500g (1.1 lb) side of salmon - that’s it. Once cooked, let it rest before removing the skin, and it can be easily pulled apart into beautifully succulent flakes. There’s no tough pale flesh, dryness, or loss of flavour that comes with overcooked salmon—just fresh, salty-sweet fish with the perfect balance of oily softness and a firm bite.
It’s a really good way to prepare salmon fillets in quick time for numerous other dishes including warm salmon sushi, poke bowls or a salmon caesar salad. The ease in which this is cooked will have you using it for many other dishes of your own.
Once the salmon is done, we simply toss it together with the other ingredients and the dressing before the salmon larb is ready to serve.
Bold flavours and fresh herbs
The key flavours for an authentic larb are at almost different ends of the flavour profile spectrum but when added together they create a very unique a wonderful flavour. Nam pla, the strong fermented fish sauce gives an intense salty umami richness which gets sweetened with lime juice which also brings a zesty sour aspect too. Lime works beautifully with chilli which this has quite a bit of. Fresh red chilli and dried chilli flakes can be added to taste but traditionally this is a feisty hot dish so please be bold with it. The two herbs used are fresh mint leaves and fresh coriander/cilantro leaves which are aromatic and on the sweeter side for herbal flavours. Some versions of larb use ginger, kaffir lime and lemongrass in a broth to boil the meat or fish, but as our salmon is grilled we have omitted these ingredients, although if you want to pound these ingredients down into a paste to cover the salmon before grillings, they do add another fragrant dimension to the dish and worth the added effort.
Variations on traditional larb: additions and substitutions
For the other salad ingredients, we simply have thinly sliced fresh red onion to add a crisp crunch to the texture. Many larb recipes do see the addition of cucumbers, tomatoes as well as spring onions, and you can add really whatever you want to as long as they are chopped into small pieces. Toasted rice powder is the last authentic ingredient added to larb. You can make this yourself if you can’t find it in the shops. It is a sweet sticky rice grain that is simply toasted in a wok with lime leaves for about 25-30 minutes. The grains turn dark brown and nutty. The longer a slower you roast the grains the deeper and smokier the final flavour. It is often used in Loatian and Thai cuisine for its depth of flavour and to thicken sauces, but in a larb it also gives it another crunchiness. You can omit this if you can’t source it or alternatively substitute it with sesame seeds, togarashi seasoning or even crushed peanuts.
It is best to just chop all your ingredients up and incorporate it in with the salmon which has been pulled apart into small flakes. Mix together the juice of three limes and two tablespoons of fish sauce, which may seem a lot but it is the intensity of flavours that make this dish work. Then simply toss all the ingredients together with the dressing. Garnish with more coriander/cilantro and mint and add as much chilli as you dare.
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Salmon larb recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g side of salmon
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- juice of 3 limes 90ml
- 2 tablespoon of Nam pla
- 2 -3 red chillies chopped
- 1 tablespoon of dried chilli flakes
- 9 g of fresh mint chopped
- 9 g of fresh coriander/cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon of toasted rice powder optional
Instructions
- Place the salmon on a baking tray and rub the skin with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then place under a preheated grill at 250°C (480°F). Bake for 6-7 minutes, remove from the oven, take off the skin, and set aside.
- Peel and quarter the onion, then cut into thin slices and place in a mixing bowl along with the chopped chili, chili flakes, chopped mint, and coriander (cilantro). Flake the salmon into small bite-size pieces and add to the bowl.
- Mix together the lime juice and nam pla fish sauce, then pour into the mixing bowl and toss all the ingredients together. Add a sprinkle of toasted rice powder and garnish with more coriander (cilantro).
Notes
How to store:
- Refrigeration: Store any leftover salmon larb in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best enjoyed fresh, but it will keep for up to 2 days.
- Separate components: If you prefer to store it separately, keep the salmon, dressing, and salad ingredients in different containers to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
How long it keeps:
- Salmon: The grilled salmon will stay fresh in the fridge for 2 days. After this, it may lose its texture and flavour.
- Dressing & salad: The dressing can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge. The salad (without the salmon) will last about 1-2 days, but best to eat sooner for optimal crunch and flavour.
Freezing:
- It’s not recommended to freeze this dish, as freezing can affect the texture of the salmon and salad ingredients.
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