Asian Lettuce Boats with Dipping Sauces
- 1 or more pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut in bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 cloves fresh garlic
- 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 can water chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 4 green onions, sliced thinly
- 3 heads Boston lettuce
- Sweet chili sauce for chicken (available in Asian markets)
Peanut Sauce
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- juice of 3 limes or 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup fish sauce (available in most grocery stores)
- 2 tablespoons grated carrot
Marinate chicken in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar and black pepper for 10 to 15 minutes. Sauté in oil with the water chestnuts. Remove from heat and add green onions.
Wash and pat dry the lettuce leaves. Fill each with a spoonful of chicken just before serving with sweet chili sauce for chicken, peanut sauce and Vietnamese sweet and sour dipping sauce.
To prepare the peanut sauce, mix peanut butter, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl. Sauté garlic and crushed red peppers in hot oil for 5 seconds. Add peanut butter mixture. Cook 3 to 4 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To prepare the sweet and sour sauce, mix all ingredients. Serve at room temperature.
Both sauces can be prepared ahead of time.
Peanut sauce and Vietnamese sweet and sour dipping sauce from Nina Simonds, Asian Wraps.
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