Asian Lettuce Wraps
Whenever I make dinner for six people or so, and I’m going with something Asian, I’m always wondering what to serve as a pre-dinner snack while they settle in and have a bit of wine. I hate the idea of cheese and crackers; they just don’t go with the food that’s coming.
Here’s an easy option you can prepare in advance, serve at room temperature, and set out on the coffee table. It goes well with a light, crisp white wine, preferably European or New Zealand.
You can use chicken, shrimp, or pork. I prefer to finely chop it rather than using ground meat.
Secret shortcut (don’t tell guests this when they rave about the sauce). When I’m short on time, I use a Japanese sweet barbecue sauce you can buy at the supermarket instead of making the sauce from scratch. Squirt some into the wok at the end of the cooking and mix it in. You decide how much; it should stick to the food, not too dry, not too wet.
Ingredients
- 1 lb450g finely chopped (or ground) chicken, pork, or shrimp
- 1 Tbsp15ml peanut oil
- ½½ onion, minced
- ½ cup120ml red pepper, diced
- ½ cup120ml thin-cut green beans
- ½ cup120ml chopped celery
- ½ cup120ml shredded carrots
- 1212 lettuce leaves, romaine or butter
For the Sauce
- 3 Tbsp45ml soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp45ml hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp9g sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp10g rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp15ml peanut butter
- 1 Tbsp15ml honey
- 2 tsp10ml sweet chili sauce
- ½ tsp2.5ml minced garlic
- ¼ tsp1.5ml grated ginger
For the Topping
- ¼ cup60ml crushed peanuts
Preparation
Mix sauce ingredients. If you use a firmer peanut butter, you may need to microwave the mixture for 30-–60 seconds to melt it and ensure everything is well mixed.
Heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan. Once hot, add the meat. Cook until some pieces start to brown. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent.
Add the peppers, green beans, celery, and carrots, and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are soft.
Add the sauce and simmer on low heat until the meat and veggies are evenly coated and everything is heated through.
Serve in lettuce leaves, on top of your favorite Asian salad, or over noodles or rice. Top with the crushed peanuts.