MINCED CHICKEN SERVED WITH LETTUCE LEAVES

Serves 4–6.

Preparation & cooking time: about 35–40 mins.

The original version of this recipe uses quail or pigeon meat. Some restaurants use pork instead of chicken.

225–275g (8–10oz) chicken thigh meat (boned and skinned)

salt and pepper to taste

½ teaspoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine

1 teaspoon thick cornflour paste

6 small dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked (see Glossary)

50g (2oz) Szechwan Preserved Vegetables (see Glossary), rinsed

50g (2oz) water chestnuts, drained and rinsed

4 tablespoons seasoned oil

½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onions

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

12 crisp (Webb or Iceberg) lettuce leaves to serve

Coarsely mince or chop the chicken meat, and marinate in the salt, pepper, sugar, soy sauce, wine and cornflour paste for 10–15 minutes.

Squeeze dry the mushrooms and discard any hard stalks. Coarsely chop the mushrooms, Preserved Vegetables and water chestnuts.

Heat the oil in a preheated wok, add the ginger and spring onions first, then the chicken, and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Now add all threevegetables; continue stirring for 2 minutes, then add the oyster sauce, blend well and cook for 1 more minute.

Serve hot. Place about 2–3 tablespoons of the mixture onto a lettuce leaf and roll it up tightly. Eat with your fingers.

hancheng

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