Laksa Ayam

When The Beautiful Mrs. Tas and I were in Sydney last year, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Jimmy's Recipe in the Gateway Plaza at Circular Quay, which specializes in Malaysian street food. The Beautiful Mrs. Tas ordered a combination Laksa of chicken, seafood and vegetables, while I opted for beef. It was a new experience for both of us, and we both loved it. You can read more about our visit to Jimmy's Recipe (and see photos of the Laksa) here:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=5145&PID=40150&title=dining-out-in-sydney#40150

I'll be trying to re-create that Laksa soon; as part of my research, I came across this recipe in my Culinaria: Southeast Asia book. It's not exactly the same as the Laksa we had, but it's also not that far off, either. Most of the basic ingredients as well as the procedure seem close to the same; however the Laksa that we had was more of a red curry type, and I see no indication at the moment that this recipe is. Also, our Laksa was topped with fried tofu puffs, where this one is topped with fried onions rings. These are minor variations, I am sure, and if I had to guess, I'd say that the bridge between this Laksa and the Laksa that we had is a pretty short bridge.

I will post the Culinaria recipe here so that anyone who is interested can give it a try. As I get deeper into my own attempt, I'll open a new thread and post a link to it on this thread, for cross-referencing.

Ron

Laksa Ayam Rice Cellophane Noodles with Chicken in Coconut Broth From Culinaria: Southeast Asia - A Journey Through Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, 2011 1 pound (500g) chicken pieces 8 ounces (250g) shrimp 1/2 coconut, grated (about 2 cups (250g)) 3 cups (750ml) water, mixed with the grated coconut, squeezed, thin milk reserved 3 tablespoons oil 4 shallots, peeled and chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered 4 candlenuts 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander Salt Salam leaf 1 stem lemongrass, lightly crushed 7 ounces (200g) dried rice cellophane noodles (bihun), soaked in warm water and drained 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced Garnish 1 tablespoon fried onion rings A few sprigs of basil Place the chicken pieces in a pot with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken and leave to cool, then strip the meat from the bones and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Reserve the broth. Boil and shell the shrimp. Soak the grated coconut in water and squeeze dry. Pound the shallots, garlic cloves and candlenuts to a paste with a mortar. Heat the oil and fry the spice paste, salam leaf and lemongrass until their fragrances are released. De-glaze with the chicken broth, then add the shrimp and chicken meat. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. To serve, place a portion of rice thread noodles in each bowl, top with slices of hard-boiled egg, moisten with several spoonfuls of the laksa ayam and garnish with fried onion rings and basil.