Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chef

Cookbook

Sandra Dunn from Southlake, Texas volunteers with us at the cooking school. She passed this recipe onto me and it is delicious. It looks like a lot of work but once you get the hang of it, it moves quickly and is worth the effort! This is a family favorite worth doubling for a main course for four! A single sauce recipe works for the doubled portion. Dicing is easier when the chicken is still slightly frozen.

Serves4

CostModerate

Total Timeunder 1 hour

OccasionCocktail Party, Family Get-together, Game Day

Recipe CourseAppetizer, Hors D'oeuvre, Main Course

Dietary ConsiderationDiabetic, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Lactose-free, Low Carb, Tree Nut Free

MealDinner, Lunch

Taste and TextureGarlicky, Meaty, Salty, Savory, Spiced

Ingredients

For the Marinade:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon less sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons peanut sauce
2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the Wraps:
4 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 green onions, minced (white and pale green part only)
1 small dried red chili, minced
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, minced
1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, minced
Bibb, Boston or iceberg lettuce leaves
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from 1/2 medium lemon)
1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce with garlic
Dash of sesame oil
Whisk
Vegetable peeler (to peel ginger)

Instructions

Mix all the marinade ingredients together with a whisk. Dice the chicken breast into 1/4-inch cubes. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate 15 minutes at room temperature.
To make the sauce, dissolve the sugar in the water and add the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Once the chicken has been marinated, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet. Add the shiitake, ginger, garlic, onions, chili pepper, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Sauté until mushrooms soften. Add the chicken and marinade and continue to sauté, stirring constantly until chicken is cooked through and the mixture is thickened. Remove the chicken mixture from the pan with a slotted spoon onto a platter. (The filling for the lettuce may be made ahead, cooled, refrigerated and reheated if serving the next day.) Chicken mixture is to be served warm inside lettuce leaves. Pass sauce separately.