Or Lam Nok Kho (Quail Stew)


Serving Size:

1 dried quail, matured until almost mouldy, divided into separate breast & leg parts, washed and put on a plate
7 round eggplants
5 lg fresh green chilli peppers
1 stalk lemon grass
3 straight-bulbed spring onions
sa-kahn (an aromatic plant, used in stews-see page 41), cut into pieces about 5 cm long and 5 cm thick-about 10 pieces-washed
3 young shoots rattan, cooked by being placed directly on a charcoal fire and peeled so as to leave only the soft part, which is to be cut into pieces 2 cm long and washed
1 bunch phak tam nin (an edible leaf see page 37), picked over, keeping only the leaves and tops, which are to be washed
dill, washed and Cut into pieces about 2 cm long
spring onion, the green parts, cut into pieces about 2 cm long and washed sweet basil leaves, washed
1 piece of crisp-fried pork skin, cut into squares of 5 cm and put on a plate padek
salt
2 yards long beans, cut into pieces about 2 cm long
  • Put 2 metal jugfuls (2 pints) of water in a pot and place it on the fire. Add the prepared bird, the eggplants, the chilli peppers, the spring onions, the lemon grass, the so-kahn and salt. Cover and let it boil. Add the padek in a padek basket suspended in the soup. When the eggplants and the chilli peppers are done, spoon them out and pound them. Put this mixture back in the pot. When it returns to the boil add the phak toni nin and the yard-long beans. When all is done, add the pieces of pork skin and the chopped coriander leaves, taste and check the saltiness.
  • Serve in a bowl, garnished with the chopped spring onion leaves. Accompany the dish with young cucumbers and older eggplants and other fresh vegetables (e.g. salad leaves, watercress, etc.).
  • ***Note: In cooking this Or Lam, you can also add Duk Moo Sam La (pork bones which have been kept for some time in the broth) if you fear that it will not be 'nua' (flavoursome enough).
  • You may also add other kinds of vegetables (when you are cooking the stew), but be careful not to use too many because the Or Lam Nok Kho will then turn into Or Moo (Pork Stew) or Or Phak (Vegetable stew).
From: TRADITIONAL RECIPES OF LAOS by Phia Sing, ISBN 0 907325 60 2



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