Bamboo Shoots and Minced Chicken Recipe

(Chinese Recipes – Bamboo Shoots and Minced Chicken in Lettuce Cups)

Ingredients: Makes 5 servings

1 large head iceberg lettuce

6 dried Chinese black shiitake mushrooms (soaked in hot water for 30 minutes to soften)

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon each dark soy sauce and light soy sauce

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

½ teaspoon each sugar and cornstarch (cornflour)

⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

½ lb (250 g) chicken thigh meat, minced

¼ lb (125 g) ground or minced pork

½ cup (2 oz/60 g) minced canned bamboo shoots

6 canned water chestnuts, minced

¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) hoisin sauce

3 green scallions, trimmed

2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

Method:

Cut out the stem from the base of the lettuce and discard. Immerse the lettuce head in a large bowl of very cold water and let soak for 30 minutes. Remove from the water and separate 20 leaves, reserving the remaining lettuce for another use. Trim each leaf into a palm-sized cup. Refrigerate the lettuce cups until ready to assemble. Meanwhile, mince the soaked mushrooms and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, dark and light soy sauces, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, and egg until well mixed. Set aside. In a wok or large, deep sauté pan over high heat, heat the canola oil until very hot. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry until light golden brown, 15-20 seconds. Add the chicken and pork and stir-fry until the meat turns opaque, 5-7 minutes. Pour off any liquid that has collected in the bottom of the pan. Return the pan to high heat, add the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and mushrooms and stir-fry until any moisture has evaporated, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the oyster sauce mixture and continue to stir-fry until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a measuring cup, mix the hoisin sauce with 1 tablespoon warm water. Thinly slice the green scallions on the diagonal. Arrange the lettuce cups on a large platter. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the hot chicken mixture into each lettuce cup, drizzle with a little hoisin sauce, and top with the green scallions and pine nuts, dividing evenly. Serve at once.