Larb Ped — Duck Larb / ลาบเป็ด

Ingredients

• 2 Duck legs, skin removed and reserved, meat minced while warm
• 150 g Duck liver, sinew trimmed
• 200 g Duck skin, from the legs, rendered until crispy, then crumbled
• 3 tbsp Lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 2 tbsp Khao khua (toasted rice powder), extra quantity to absorb the richer duck fat
• 1 tsp Dried chilli flakes, or to balance
• 1 small bunch Mint, leaves picked
• 1 small bunch Sawtooth coriander, finely sliced
• 60 ml Duck bone broth, skimmed; made from the reserved duck bones

Method

1. 1
   Place the duck skin flat in a cold pan and set over a low heat, starting cold so the fat beneath the skin has time to liquefy gradually rather than seizing and leaving the skin chewy and pale. Render slowly, pressing occasionally, until the fat is fully released and the skin lies flat, golden, and rigid; drain on a rack and reserve all rendered fat in the pan. The skin is done when it snaps cleanly rather than bending.
2. 2
   Raise the heat to high, lay the duck liver into the pan with a film of the reserved duck fat, and sear without moving for 60–90 seconds per side so the exterior takes on deep colour while the centre stays pink and yielding — an overcooked liver turns grey and grainy, contributing bitterness rather than the mineral depth the recipe demands. Remove when the exterior is deeply coloured but the centre yields under light pressure and remains visibly pink when sliced. This is where the dish lives or dies: slice into pieces 5 mm thick and set aside.
3. 3
   Cook the duck leg meat — by poaching, roasting, or briefly sautéing in the rendered duck fat — until just cooked through, then mince the meat while still warm so the residual heat allows the remaining fat to integrate into the mince as it is worked. The mince is ready when the fat is visibly distributed throughout and the mass holds together without being wet.
4. 4
   Pour the warm duck bone broth over the warm mince in the bowl, keeping both warm so the broth loosens the mince and carries the seasoning evenly through the fat rather than sitting on the surface. Add the rendered duck fat left in the pan, then the fish sauce, lime juice, dried chilli, and khao khua; toss to combine. Taste: the dressing should cut cleanly through the fat — if the richness of the duck dominates, add lime and chilli incrementally until the contrast is dynamic rather than heavy.
5. 5
   Fold in the mint leaves and sawtooth coriander at the last moment so the leaves stay bright and unbruised rather than wilting against the warm mince. Arrange the sliced liver over the dressed mince and crumble the crisped duck skin across the surface. Serve immediately — the skin should remain audibly crisp when pressed with a spoon.