Want to get a head start on making cocktail appetizers? Crab Rangoon can be
prepared ahead of time up to the deep-frying stage and frozen. Thaw the filled
wontons before deep-frying.
Lettuce Wraps
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 red bell pepper
½ 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
½ 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
1 teaspoon minced garlic clove
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed
with 2 tablespoons water
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Wash the chicken and pat dry. Pound lightly to tenderize. Cut the chicken
into thin slices approximately 2½ inches long. - Wash the lettuce, and dry and separate the leaves. Remove the seeds from
the red pepper and chop into bite-sized pieces. Slice the water chestnuts and
bamboo shoots into 1-inch pieces. - Mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese rice wine, and sugar. Set
aside. - Add 2 tablespoons oil in a preheated wok or heavy skillet.When oil is hot,
add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry briefly, then add the chicken. Stir-fry until
it is browned and nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain
on paper towels. - Add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the water chestnuts and celery.
Stir-fry for about 1 minute, then add the red pepper. Add the bamboo
shoots. Stir-fry until the vegetables are brightly colored and tender. Add the
sauce. Give the cornstarch/water mixture a quick stir and add in the middle,
stirring quickly to thicken. Stir in the green onions. Drizzle with sesame oil. - To prepare lettuce wrap, lay a lettuce leaf flat. Place one-twelfth of the
chicken combined with the vegetable/sauce mixture into the middle and roll
up the lettuce leaf.