Chef Parnass Savang of Atlanta’s Talat Market has learned how to make a variety of Western sausages—bologna, cheddarwurst, and pepperoni—from the chefs he’s worked with in Atlanta. But the first sausage he learned to make was sai ua from his dad. It has a vibrant flavor from the slew of herbs and spices that get mixed in. It’s what started his journey into exploring Thai food and his own roots.
Recipe information
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
Chile Dip
2
1
4
1
2
1
1
1
Sai Ua and Assembly
1
1
2
¼
2
2
1
2
⅓
Preparation
Chile dip
Step 1
Heat broiler. Broil shallots, garlic, and Anaheim and Thai chiles on a rimmed baking sheet, turning halfway through, until charred in most spots, 4–8 minutes. (Alternatively, you can char individually over a burner if you’ve got a gas stovetop.) Let cool.
Step 2
Peel shallots, garlic, and chile (it’s okay if some charred bits stay attached; they will add smoky flavor), then coarsely chop. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or a food processor and mash or pulse to a coarse paste. Mix in lime juice, cilantro, fish sauce, and sugar; season with salt. Taste and add more lime juice, fish sauce, and/or sugar if needed.
Step 3
Do ahead: Dip can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Sai ua and assembly
Step 4
Combine chicken, shallot, lime leaves, curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. cilantro in a medium bowl; season with salt. Using your hands, mix until chicken is sticking to itself and mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Using wet hands, form about 2-Tbsp. scoops of chicken mixture into 1"-thick patties.
Step 5
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, cook patties until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Step 6
Serve patties with chile dip, cabbage, daikon, cilantro, and rice.
Leave a Review
Reviews (5)
Back to TopI made this last night with a few substitutions: ground turkey for chicken, 1.5 tsp of lime zest for the lime leaves, and only 1 tbsp. of the fish sauce. My husband and I ate these as romaine lettuce wraps with the sticky rice, chile dip (SO GOOD) avocado and some fresh herbs and it was absolutely delicious. Looking forward to trying it again with the regular ingredients!
caitmarybarry
Quincy, MA
9/30/2020
I’ve never made Thai food, but I made this tonight, substituting ground turkey because it was all I could find. I also used jalapeños and tomatillos instead of Thai chile and Anaheim chiles, both because I couldn’t find the others, and because it scares me that the Thai are 15x hotter than jalapeños. The dish was amazing and I will definitely make it again. My arm felt like it would fall off after I mixed for three minutes with a wooden spoon, and I’m a pretty buff dude. I feel like a stand mixer with a dough hook would have worked better (if I had one). After that, the meat forms a sort of emulsion and looked similar to bratwurst after cooking. A cast iron skillet with peanut oil (high smoke point) and a fish spatula worked well. I found the lime leaf at Mollie Stone’s, and it’s such a unique and delicious ingredient. It tastes very reminiscent of tom kha and other Thai dishes I’ve tried, but I never would have been able to place it before. Thanks Parnass!
Anonymous
San Francisco
10/20/2020
This was really good! Followed almost exactly except I used serrano instead of a Thai chili and butter lettuce in place of cabbage. Just make sure you watch your salt in the chicken mixture. Mine turned out a little too salty because I used a salted curry paste (Mae Ploy), so my fault.
Anonymous
Denton, TX
10/22/2020
For the love of god, check the label on your red curry paste before adding any additional salt to this! I ruined my batch by following these directions while using a curry paste with salt. They were inedible. Could tell they would have been delicious otherwise.
Anonymous
Connecticut
10/27/2020