Ingredients
The following ingredients have 5 Servings
- 1 tbsp white sticky rice
- 1 red birdseye chilli, quartered lengthways
- 200 gm piece of flank steak, very finely diced
- ¼ Lebanese cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
- 10 mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- ½ golden shallot, very thinly sliced on a mandolin
- 2 spring onions (white part only), thinly sliced
- Watercress sprigs, to serve
- 25 gm caster sugar
- 25 ml white vinegar
- 25 ml fish sauce
- ½ small garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½-1 birdseye chilli, finely chopped, or to taste
- 1 tsp lime juice, or to taste
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- ½ russet Burbank potato, peeled, sliced wafer-thin on a mandolin (see note) (175gm)
Instruction
- Dry-roast rice in a small frying pan over low heat until deep golden (10-15 minutes), cool then finely grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, and set aside (see note).
- Dry-roast chilli in a small wok or frying pan over low-medium heat until completely charred and dried (10-15 minutes), then finely grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, and set aside (see note).
- For nuoc cham, dissolve sugar in 50ml boiling water in a small saucepan, then cool briefly (1-2 minutes). Stir in vinegar and fish sauce, and stand to cool (10-15 minutes), then stir in garlic, chilli and lime juice.
- For potato crisps, heat oil to 140C. Rinse potato in a bowl under cold running water until water runs clear. Dry well with paper towels, then deep-fry in batches (be careful, hot oil will spit), turning occasionally, until light golden and crisp (2-3 minutes). Drain on paper towels and season to taste.
- Combine beef with ½ tsp roasted rice in a small bowl, and season with roasted chilli and salt to taste. Mix in a third of the nuoc cham, check seasoning – the mix should taste toasty from the rice and spicy from chilli – then add cucumber, mint, shallot, spring onion and extra nuoc cham to taste. Serve tartare topped with watercress and with potato crisps.
