Watercress salad, Northern style

Andy Souvanhphukdee
This dish is occasionally served at wedding and on other celebratory occasions in Luang Namtha. There are many variations. Some are very oily; some are very sweet. It has an excellent balance between sweet, sour and salty effects and is redolent of cooked garlic. Specially, this dish based on watercress.
Lao Kitchen
Kees Sprengers (ປຶ້ມສູດອາຫານຂອງເຮືອນພັກທ່າເຮືອ)

Ingredients:
Salad:

1 large bunch for watercress; 4 eggs, hard boiled, whites only, reserve the yolks for the dressing; 2 C for mesclun  using whatever greens are available; ½ C for coriander leaves; ½ C for mint leave; 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced cherry tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes
Dressing:
Light oil (1/2 C); garlic 4 T (chopped); 4 eggs yolks (chopped); sugar (3 T); fish sauce (2 T); soy sauce (2T); lime juice (4T); to finish dry-fried peanuts, chopped

Method:
1. Heat a work or pan and dry fry the peanuts set the nuts aside to cool. When cool, chop.
2. Heat the oil on a medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and fry until golden brown, stirring frequently so it does not burn (about 2 minutes)
3. While the garlic is frying, mix together the chopped egg yolks, sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce in a deep bowl or screw-top jar. When the garlic is ready, remove it from the heat and cool. Add the garlic and its cooking oil to the mixture ( whisk or shake to blend well).
4. Add the lime juice and mix. Taste and adjust the sugar and lime juice
5. Wash the watercress thoroughly in clean water; drain and discard any thick stem. Cut cherry tomatoes in halves. If using larger tomatoes, cut into wedges about 1 cm (1/2 in) thick at the widest part.
6. Assemble the salad on a large, flat plate or in a bowl by forming a bed of watercress which is topped with the other herbs and leaves, tomatoes and slices egg whites in a nice pattern. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle he chopped peanuts over the whole. Serve the salad immediately, as it will quickly wilt.
Variations:
For sweeter version, reduce the lime juice; for a sourer version, increase the lime. Do not reduce the sugar amount.

Most of information come from The Boat Landing Cookbook

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