Mr Moo loves spaghetti bolgnese, but there is only so much spaghetti bolgnese that this Mummy can take! So in my short ‘more then just mince’ blog series I decided to take an Asian spin on ‘spaghetti bolgnese’ with this pork and squid larb.
Larb is a type of Lao minced meat salad that is regarded as the national dish of Laos. Larb is most often made with chicken, beef, duck, fish, pork or mushrooms, flavored with fish sauce, lime juice, padaek, roasted ground rice and fresh herbs.
Now when I started planning for my larb I took my inspiration from spaghetti bolgnese – many people make their bolgnese sauce with a mixture of beef and pork mince and so that’s where I started at this dish. I thought that I would use some pork mince and take it to the next level with some crispy fried squid.
Rice noodles take the place of pasta – and are a great alternative if you are gluten free. I dedicate this recipe to my sister, who has just found out that she is a celiac. If you’re a celiac people check your sauces as these can sometimes contain gluten. As no one in my house is a celiac I didn’t check any of the sauces pictured below.
Another great thing about this dish is that a lot of the preparation work can be completed and set aside for a later time – which means it’s great for Mummies. Carry out the majority of your preparation work whilst your little ones are napping in the afternoon – and then you will have a minimum of work to complete at dinner time (also known as witching hour in most households with children).
PORK AND SQUID LARB
500 grams of pork mince
200 grams of squid
2 tablespoons of rice flour
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 thumb size piece of ginger
2 cucumbers
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
1 handful of mint leaves
1 handful of basil leaves
1 handful of coriander leaves
1 red onion
1 lime
1 packet of rice noodles
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Combine your mince with the fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil and finely diced ginger. Set aside to marinade.
Boil the kettle and then pour boiling water over your noodles and allow to sit for 15 minutes before draining.
Slice your squid into small triangles and then toss in the rice flour and garlic salt. Dust off any excess flour before frying.
Peel your cucumbers, half and then slice. Half your cherry tomatoes and then rip up your herbs and set them on a dish.
Heat your olive oil in a non stick pan and then fry off your squid until crispy. Wipe out the frying pan with some paper towel and then add your pork mince – fry off until crispy.
Combine your salad with the drained noodles, squid and pork mince. Slice your lime in half and squeeze the juice over the entire dish. Serve.
Are you enjoying my ‘more then just mince’ series? What do you do with pork mince? Do you enjoy eating salads in the spring/summer time for dinner? Are you adventurous with what you will feed your children?
