Crispy Duck Panang

Crispy Duck Panang

We recently had an extraordinary dinner at their newly opened location in the Red Rock Casino…at what is widely agreed to be the best Thai restaurant in Las Vegas, Lotus of Siam.

Since 1999, Chef Saipin Chutima and her family have owned and operated this world-renowned restaurant. Chef Saipin’s cooking revolves around the Northern Thai recipes passed down from generations of her family. She received the coveted James Beard award for Southwest Region Chef in 2011.

Lotus of Siam’s 3rd location at Red Rock Casino Resort opened in November 2022, with Saipin’s daughter, Penny, at the helm. The design of the restaurant is casual yet breathtaking, and everything one would expect from a new Red Rock concept. Eater Vegas chose their Chiang Mai-inspired style as the Best Design of the Year.

The elevated food is obviously not your local hole-in-the-wall Thai menu (although there is nothing wrong with that!).  And the award-winning wine list and service are impeccable. We enjoyed a bottle of the lovely HeavenSake with our meal.

We shared several dishes – all excellent – some highlights included Chilean Sea Bass with Sweet & Sour Sauce, Penny’s Ceviche, Garlic Prawns, and of course the Crispy Duck Panang.

By the way, their base sauce recipes are a secret. Only three people know the recipes according to Chef Saipin in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Craving the exotic flavors of Lotus’s stellar dish, I set out to create my own version of Crispy Duck Panang.

Crispy Duck Panang Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 T. avocado oil (or coconut oil, peanut oil)
• 2 T. high-quality panang curry paste
• 1 c. unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 c. chicken stock
• 1 T. fish sauce
• 1 1/2 T. granulated sugar
• 1 T. cornstarch (in slurry)
• 1 T. lime juice
• salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add curry paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar.

Simmer for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Whisk in cornstarch slurry to thicken slightly.

Add lime juice. Taste for salt.

Notes: This recipe makes enough curry for 4 duck dishes. My recipe is intentionally light on the coconut. If more coconut flavor is preferred, add another cup of coconut milk and skip the chicken stock. Cornstarch may then not be needed to thicken.

Duck:

Maple Leaf Farms roast half ducks (precooked and partially de-boned).

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place ducks in a shallow roasting pan, skin-side-up. Let ducks sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Brush the skin with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes until the duck meat is hot and the skin is extra crispy.

To Plate:

Ladle a half cup of panang onto a rimmed plate or platter. Place duck on top of curry. Garnish with sliced chilis, basil, and radish. Serve with steamed Jasmine rice and sliced limes on the side.

More Duck:

French Duck

Chinese Duck

New Mexican Duck