Minced Chicken in Lettuce Cups

Name: Minced Chicken in Lettuce Cups
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes 6
Ingredients: 5 Chinese dried black mushrooms; 1 ⁄ 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast; 1 ⁄ 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 3 tbsp. peanut oil; 1 tsp. minced peeled ginger; 1 tbsp. shaoxing (Chinese rice wine); Freshly ground white pepper; 1 oz. Virginia ham, minced; 1 tbsp. oyster sauce; 2 scallions, white part only, trimmed and minced; 1 ⁄ 2 cup drained whole canned water chestnuts, finely chopped; 6 iceberg or bibb lettuce leaves

Serves
makes 6

SAVEUR EDITORS

By SAVEUR Editors

Published on October 18, 2000

This dish is based on a famous Cantonese recipe for squab.

Ingredients

5 Chinese dried black mushrooms
¹⁄₂ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
¹⁄₂ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tbsp. peanut oil
1 tsp. minced peeled ginger
1 tbsp. shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)
Freshly ground white pepper
1 oz. Virginia ham, minced
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 scallions, white part only, trimmed and minced
¹⁄₂ cup drained whole canned water chestnuts, finely chopped
6 iceberg or bibb lettuce leaves

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Instructions

Step 1

Soak mushrooms in a medium bowl of hot water, covered, until soft, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, finely chop chicken breast and thighs with a sharp cleaver or knife and set aside. Remove mushrooms from soaking water and trim off stems. (Discard water and stems; see Snipping Shrooms.) Finely chop caps and set aside.

Step 2

Heat oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chopped chicken and stir-fry, breaking meat up with a metal spatula, until no longer raw, about 1 minute. Add shaoxing, season to taste with white pepper, then add ham, mushrooms, and oyster sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add scallions and chestnuts. Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce leaves.

Soak mushrooms in a medium bowl of hot water, covered, until soft, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, finely chop chicken breast and thighs with a sharp cleaver or knife and set aside. Remove mushrooms from soaking water and trim off stems. (Discard water and stems; see Snipping Shrooms.) Finely chop caps and set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chopped chicken and stir-fry, breaking meat up with a metal spatula, until no longer raw, about 1 minute. Add shaoxing, season to taste with white pepper, then add ham, mushrooms, and oyster sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add scallions and chestnuts. Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce leaves.