Bangkok Rice with Shrimp Paste and Sweet Pork (Khao Khluk Kapi)

Crunchy, salty, candy, and tart—this traditional Thai dish has all of it.

Yield: serves 4

Time:

1 hour, 45 minutes

For the candy pork:

• 2 massive cilantro roots (together with a little bit of inexperienced stem), finely chopped (2 Tbsp.)
• 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. lard
• 6 small shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (1½ cups)
• ¼ cups (3½ oz.) gentle palm sugar
• 10½ oz. pork neck, cubed
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. Thai black soy sauce

For the rice:

• 1 cup Thai long-grained rice
• 1 tbsp. lard
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1½ oz. floor pork
• 2 tbsp. Thai shrimp paste
• ¼ cups vegetable oil

For the crispy shrimp and the egg ribbons:

• ⅓ cups (1 oz.) small dried shrimp
• 2 massive eggs, overwhelmed

For serving:

• 1 small inexperienced (unripe) mango
• 24 very small chicken’s eye chilies, thinly sliced (1 Tbsp.)
• 8 small shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (2 cups)
• Lime wedges

Directions

1. As much as 3 days earlier than you propose to serve the dish, make the candy pork: Utilizing a mortar and pestle, pound the cilantro roots and garlic to a rough paste. Put aside. In a medium pot over low warmth, warmth the lard. Add the reserved cilantro root and garlic paste, and prepare dinner, stirring regularly, simply till aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the shallots and proceed cooking, stirring regularly, till translucent, 2–4 minutes extra. Add the palm sugar and proceed cooking till the sugar has melted and is starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the pork neck, 1 cup of water, the black soy sauce, and the salt. Flip the warmth to medium excessive, deliver to boil, then decrease the warmth to simmer and prepare dinner, stirring often, till practically all of the water has evaporated, and the combination is darkish, syrupy and aromatic, round 45 minutes. Take away from warmth and put aside to chill to room temperature.
2. At the very least a pair hours earlier than serving, make the rice: Place the grains in a small pot and rinse properly till the water runs clear. Pressure off the water, then measure 1 cup of recent water into the pot. Over excessive warmth, deliver the combination to a fast boil for two or 3 seconds, then flip the warmth as little as attainable, cowl, and prepare dinner the rice for 20 minutes. Take away from the warmth and take away the lid for a couple of seconds to let the surplus warmth and moisture escape. Return the lid and let the rice relaxation till it has soaked up any residual warmth and moisture and is beginning to separate into distinct grains, about 10 minutes. Stir gently and put aside, coated, at room temperature.
3. To a wok or massive skillet over medium warmth, add the lard. When sizzling, add the garlic and stir-fry till golden, about 30 seconds. Add the bottom pork and proceed stir-frying till simply cooked by way of, about 1 minute extra. Add the shrimp paste, and proceed stir-frying till aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water, decrease the warmth to simmer and and prepare dinner, stirring often, till the combination has lowered to the the consistency of a chunky pasta sauce, about 5minutes. Gently stir within the reserved rice to mix, then switch to a medium bowl and put aside to chill to room temperature.
4. In the meantime, make the crispy shrimp and the egg ribbons: Line a heatproof plate with paper towels and set it by the range. Wipe out the wok and set over medium-high warmth; add the vegetable oil and, when the oil is sizzling, add the shrimp and fry, stirring often, till crispy, golden and really aromatic, about 30 seconds. Utilizing a spider skimmer or slotted steel spoon, switch the shrimp to the lined plate and put aside. Pour any extra oil off right into a heatproof jar and reserve for one more use. Return the wok to the range, flip the warmth to low and add the eggs, tilting and swirling the wok to distribute in a really skinny, even layer. Fry, shifting the wok to make sure that the omelet cooks evenly, round 1 minute. Utilizing a skinny spatula, flip the omelet and proceed cooking on the alternative aspect, round 15 seconds. Take away from warmth. When the omelet is cool sufficient to deal with, roll it into a decent cylinder, then slice into skinny ribbons. Put aside to chill to room temperature.
5. Shred the mango: Utilizing a vegetable peeler, peel the mango, then, utilizing a pointy knife, make shallow, lengthwise incisions on one aspect of the fruit. Then, flip the knife crosswise and shave down alongside the floor of the mango, leading to skinny, irregular strands. Repeat with the remaining mango.
6. To serve, divide the reserved rice amongst 4 medium plates. Round every mound of rice, organize ¼ of the candy pork, ¼ of the omelet ribbons, ¼ of the shredded mango, ¼ of the sliced chiles, and ¼ of the sliced shallots; prime every rice mound with crispy shrimp and a lime wedge and serve at room temperature.