Lettuce Parcels

Known as Sang Choy in Hong Kong, this is a popular "Assemble-it-yourself" treat. The filling — an imaginative blend of textures and flavours — is served with crisp lettuce leaves, which are used as wrappers.
Ingredients
  • 2 boneless chicken breasts, total weight about 350g / 12oz
  • 4 Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in warm water to cover
  • 30ml / 2 tbsp vegetable oil 
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 6 drained canned water chestnuts, thinly sliced
  • 30mI / 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 5ml / 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, dry fried and crushed
  • 4 spring onions, finely chopped 
  • 5ml / 1 tsp sesame oil
  • vegetable oil, for deep frying 
  • 50g / 2oz cellophane noodles 
  • salt and ground black pepper (optional)
  • 1 crisp lettuce and 60ml / 4 tbsp hoisin sauce, to serve
Preparation
Step 1
Step 4
Step 6
  1. Remove the skin from the chicken breasts, pat dry and set aside. Chop the chicken into thin strips. Drain the soaked mushrooms. Cut off and discard the mushroom stems; slice the caps finely and set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the garlic, then add the chicken and stir-fry until the pieces are cooked through and no longer pink.
  3. Add the sliced mushrooms, water chestnuts, soy sauce and peppercorns. Toss for 2-3 minutes, then season, if needed. Stir in half of the spring onions, then the sesame oil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. Heat the oil for deep frying to 190°C/ 375°F. Cut the chicken skin into strips, deep fry until very crisp and drain on kitchen paper. Add the noodles to the hot oil, deep fry until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
  5. Crush the noodles and put in a serving dish. Top with the chicken skin, chicken mixture and the remaining spring onions. Wash the lettuce leaves, pat dry and arrange on a large platter.
  6. Toss the chicken and noodles to mix. Invite guests to take one or two lettuce leaves, spread the inside with hoisin sauce and add a spoonful of filling, turning in the sides of the leaves and rolling them into a parcel. The parcels are traditionally eaten in the hand.

Serves 6.

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