Chicken Lettuce Wraps by Joan Weir

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
by Joanne Weir
from Weir Cooking in the City
(Simon & Schuster, 2004)
Serves 6

This is one of those dishes that I have to order every single time I go to Chinatown and see them on the menu. I love the crunch of the lettuce, the saltiness of the soy sauce and the sweetness of the oyster sauce. You can substitute turkey, pork, or squab with equally delicious results.


convert		Ingredients
2 tablespoons		peanut oil
1 pound		ground dark meat chicken
8		scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 teaspoons		cornstarch
2/3 cup		water chestnuts, chopped
3 tablespoons		soy sauce
1 tablespoon		grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon		oyster sauce
1 large head		butter lettuce, leaves separated

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Method

1. Warm the oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat.

2. Add the chicken, scallions and cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly the chicken is cooked and broken into pieces, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add the water chestnuts, soy sauce, ginger, and oyster sauce and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

4. To serve, take 1 lettuce leaf at a time and spoon a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the center. Wrap the lettuce around the filling. Serve.

Wine Suggestion: Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio

Reviews

This recipe is a good alternative to regular stir-fry (which we seem to have way too often at my house). Also this is great for low-carbers. I had been trying to think of a way to make stir-fry without rice.

[Courtney Nunes] This is a quick, easy, and flavorful dish which can be served either as an appetizer or main dish. The crisp lettuce is the perfect complement for the delicious filling.

[Barbara LaPadula] The wraps came out well, and this was a quick and easy recipe to follow. I think this works best accompanied by some dim sum, and it's a great weeknight dinner for the family. The chicken mixture was tasty, and it was fun eating it with our hands.

[Julie Creekmore] This is very quick and tasty, and healthy, too. We're not big lettuce fans, but this made polishing off a entire head between two people absolutely no problem. The balance of flavors is a bit Americanized, but pleasant nonetheless.

[Cindi Kruth] Joanne Weir knows how to take simple ingredients and add just the right combination of herbs, spices, and other accents to make it special. There is not a thing unusual or difficult about this recipe, but it comes together so deliciously, you'll think you had takeout delivered from the best Chinese restaurant in town — only fresher.

Loved this! The dish was easy and delicious, and my husband and I ate just about all of it ourselves for dinner one night. Next time I will use iceberg lettuce for more textural contrast.

[Ellen Lee] This was so simple and delicious. My husband and I ate double portions. The fun of it all was having to wrap up the lettuce without loosing the filling. We had great fun with this one. I'd recommend this to anyone.

[Dede Eran] This is a great appetizer and much healthier than the usual spring rolls. You do need nice large leaves so that you can wrap these up like a cabbage roll and then eat them in your hand. Needless to say, there were no leftovers and that to me is always the sign of a good recipe.

[Trudy van Schalkwyk] I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I took the chicken lettuce wraps to work and my co-workers thought it was the best. I think it is definitely a grownup taste. My two sons, who are 19 and 20-years-old, liked it, but said it would not be something that they would order in a restaurant. This is definitely a keeper!

On 6.28.05 Amy Rogers wrote:
The best, easiest, yummiest recipe I've ever used! I substituted ground turkey, and the results were still fabulous.