Sai Oua

Saeng Douangdara’s selected sai oua is a Lao sausage filled with ground pork, pork belly, cooked sticky rice, herbs and aromatic seasonings. He describes Lao sausage as an important food for the Lao diaspora as well as in Laos.

Ground pork and ground pork belly form the meat mixture. Cooked sticky rice joins galangal, lemongrass, shallots, green onions, cilantro, lime leaves, garlic and fresh bird’s-eye chili through the filling.

Oyster sauce, salt, sugar, black pepper, padaek and fish sauce season the mixture. The prepared pork casing is rinsed and soaked before it is fitted onto the stuffer and filled with the pork mixture.

The filled casing is tied at both ends. This version selects the recipe’s air-fryer route, turning the sausage between its two cooking stages and resting it before cutting.

Douangdara suggests jeow mak len and warm sticky rice alongside the sausage. Cabbage, thin garlic and ginger slices, fresh chilies and roasted peanuts are further separate accompaniments to its aromatic filling.