[Recipe] [Blue Apron] Laotian Larb Gai

One of the things I like about Blue Apron is that its recipes span all types of cuisines.  This might not work for everyone, but I'm luckily a fairly adventurous eater, and there hasn't been a bad recipe yet.  There are certainly recipes I prefer over others and some that I wouldn't make on my own again, but overall I've been pleased and introduced to a few things I've otherwise never experienced.  This recipe is one of those: simple, light, and refreshing, from a cuisine I've never had.

Laotian Larb Gai
A recipe by Blue Apron
 
Ingredients
10 ounces ground chicken
1/2 cup sushi rice
1 lime
1 Persian cucumber
1 red onion
1/2 pound green cabbage
1 bunch mint
2 tablespoons golden mountain sauce
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
1 serrano chile pepper
1/4 cup peanuts

Directions
1.  Cook the rice.  If you don't have a rice cooker, you can combine the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water in a small pot, then heat to boiling on high.  Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer 15 to 17 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.  Remove from heat.  Fluff the finished rice with a fork.
2.  Prepare the ingredients.  While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce.  Using a peeler, remove the green rind of the lime, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or, alternatively, use a zester).  Quarter the lime.  Peel and thinly slice the onion.  Thinly slice the cucumber on an angle.  Pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems.  Cut out and discard the cabbage core; slice the cabbage into 1-inch-wide strips.  Roughly chop the peanuts.  Cut off and discard the serrano pepper stem; thinly slice the pepper into rounds.  (For a milder dish, remove and discard the ribs and seeds of the pepper, then thinly slice.)  Wash your hands and cutting board immediately after handling the pepper.

3.  Cook the chicken.  While the rice continues to cook, in a medium pan (non-stick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot.  Add the ground chicken.  Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  Wipe out the pan.
4.  Make the larb gai.  In the same pan used to cook the chicken, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot.  Add the onion and as much of the serrano pepper as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be.  Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened.  Add the lime zest, palm sugar, Golden Mountain sauce, cooked chicken, and the juice of 2 lime wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined.  Remove from heat.

5.  Plate the dish.  Top the cooked rice and larb gai with the peanuts and mint.  Serve with the cabbage and cucumber on the side.  Garnish with the remaining lime wedges.