My Regenerative Kitchen: Mushroom Larb Lettuce Cups
My Regenerative Kitchen: Mushroom Larb Lettuce Cups
My Regenerative Kitchen: Mushroom Larb Lettuce Cups
This quick, go-to canapé or family-style starter packs heat and crunch. 1/4 cup (50 g) uncooked white rice Toast the rice in a dry skillet over medium-high
Larb is typically made of ground meat and lots of scallions and fresh heat, moving it constantly, until a deep brown
herbs such as mint and cilantro. It is dressed with lime juice, fish color develops. Don’t stop at golden brown; for
sauce, dried chili flakes, and the most important ingredient of all: the best flavor you want it dark brown but not
toasted rice powder. Here, I’m doing this method with mushrooms to burnt. Transfer the toasted rice in a coffee or
mirror the robust umami. Mushrooms and their fungi networks are spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle, and grind
into a coarse powder. Leftovers can be stored in a
critical to soil health, providing necessary nutrients and water to
spice jar at room temperature for about a week,
plants that are often removed by conventional tilling and pesticides.
but it’s best to make only what you will need.
You can use any mushrooms of your choice, and a mix is lovely.
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, In a small bowl, whisk half of the grated ginger
peeled and grated with the lime juice, soy sauce, honey, and chilis.
Juice of 2 limes Set the dressing aside.
1 tablespoon soy sauce Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. If you are
1 teaspoon honey using green cabbage, cut the head in half through
4 Thai chilis, stemmed and thinly sliced the core, remove the limp outer leaves, and care-
3 green cabbage or sturdy fully peel off three perfect sturdy leaves. Place
lettuce leaves them in the ice bath to firm up until ready to eat.
8 ounces (230 g) mushrooms If using lettuce, peel off three large leaves and dunk
1 tablespoon avocado oil or them in the ice bath to firm up before drying with
Garlic Confit oil (page 000) a towel. Let these sit while you prepare the filling.
1 shallot, finely chopped Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor or
1 lemongrass stalk, outer leaves chop until you have pea-size pieces. Heat the oil in a
removed, finely chopped large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmer-
1 garlic clove, grated ing. Add the remaining ginger and the mushrooms,
1 tablespoon Toasted Rice Powder shallot, lemongrass, and garlic.You are not looking
(recipe follows) to get color on anything here, you just want to sauté
Sea salt and freshly ground until the mushrooms are cooked through and the
black pepper mixture is well combined. Season with the toasted
2 mint sprigs, leaves picked rice powder and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer
2 Thai basil sprigs, leaves picked the mixture to a towel-lined plate to drain.
1 scallion, thinly sliced If using cabbage, remove it from the ice bath
and dry with a towel. Divide the mushroom filling
among the three dry cabbage or lettuce leaves.
Pour a little dressing over each larb cup, then gar-
nish with the mint, Thai basil, and scallion. Serve,
with the remaining dressing on the side.
98 • My Regenerative Kitchen Starters and Snacks • 99