“I love crispy rice in any form, and it brings delightful pops of crunch in this flavor-packed salad inspired by Nam Khao, a traditional Laotian dish. It is important that you use cooked and cooled rice, either cooked earlier in the day and refrigerated, or day-old. Freshly cooked rice has too high of a moisture content to crisp up properly. To make this recipe a full meal, add a protein like grilled steak or chicken.”
-Morgan Mannino, Cheesemonger and Marketing and E-Commerce Director at Formaggio Kitchen
Crispy Rice Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients
Crispy Rice
2 cups day-old long grain white rice
1 tablespoon canola oil (or other high heat oil)
2 teaspoons B-Spicy Spicy Cashew Chili Paste
Dressing
3 teaspoons B-Spicy Spicy Cashew Chili Paste
1 tablespoon white sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Salt
Salad
1 avocado, diced and tossed in lime juice
1 packed cup cilantro leaves
1 packed cup mint leaves
1 packed cup Thai basil leaves
4 cups hearty lettuce*, chopped
1 small shallot, sliced thin and soaked in water until ready to use
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
½ cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup crispy shallots
Instructions
- Prepare crispy rice: Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF. Add the 2 cups day-old long grain white rice to a medium bowl. Mix in 1 tablespoon canola oil (or other high heat oil) and 2 teaspoons B-Spicy Spicy Cashew Chili Paste. Make sure the rice grains are evenly coated with oil and chili paste.
- Spread the rice into an even layer on a large, parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for about 30 minutes, stopping to stir every 10 minutes. Once golden brown and crispy, remove from the oven and let cool.
Other methods for getting crispy rice (if you don’t want to turn on the oven):
Stovetop: Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add rice mixture and press into an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, until golden and crisp underneath, 6–8 minutes. Continue to cook, breaking up rice into large pieces, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Air fryer: Air fry the rice mixture at 400ºF for 8 to 10 minutes, until crispy.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, grate 1 clove garlic using a Microplane. Add 3 teaspoons B-Spicy Spicy Cashew Chili Paste, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoons tahini, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Whisk until combined. Season with salt to taste.
- Assemble the salad: Add prepared salad ingredients to a large bowl. Pick up the parchment paper from the sheet pan of the now cooled crispy rice and fold it inward to use it as a funnel to pour the crispy rice into the salad bowl. Add dressing to taste. Toss and enjoy!
*A note on lettuce safety, given the current outbreak: At Formaggio Kitchen we source our lettuce from hydroponic greenhouses which don't use soil to grow produce; they use treated, closed-loop water systems that are completely isolated from potentially contaminated soil. If you don’t have access to hydroponic lettuce, being thoughtful about your source is important, for example sourcing it from local farms. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash your produce before consuming.
