Thai Style Spicy Chicken in Lettuce Cups is a flavorful and vibrant dish that combines ground chicken with a variety of aromatic ingredients. The dish is made by toasting jasmine rice to add a nutty flavor and grinding it into a coarse powder. The chicken is cooked in a mixture of fish sauce, lemongrass, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar, creating a spicy and savory sauce. Shallots, lime juice, scallions, cilantro, and mint are added to enhance the freshness and brightness of the dish. The chicken mixture is then served in crisp butter lettuce leaves, providing a refreshing and light base for the flavorful filling. These lettuce cups make for a delicious and interactive meal, perfect for sharing or as an appetizer.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 Tbs. uncooked jasmine rice
- 3 Tbs. fish sauce
- 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed, outer layers removed, and inner core minced (1 Tbs.)
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp. packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 lb. ground chicken, preferably dark meat
- 1 medium shallot, minced (1/3 cup)
- 3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
- 3 medium scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh mint
- 1 medium head butter lettuce, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Toast the rice in an 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes (the rice will begin to smoke after a couple of minutes). Let the rice cool slightly and then grind in a spice grinder until the largest pieces resemble very coarse cornmeal; the mixture should not be completely powdery.
- Combine the fish sauce, lemongrass, pepper flakes, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and bring to a simmer over high heat. Separate the chicken into large clumps and add to the pan. Cook, breaking up the chicken into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. of the ground rice over the chicken and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid in the pan has thickened, about 2 minutes longer.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the shallot. Sprinkle with the lime juice, scallions, cilantro, and mint and stir gently to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the remaining ground rice. Serve with the lettuce leaves on the side to use as cups for the chicken.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
PER SERVING
- 240 CALORIES | 27G PROTEIN | 8G CARB | 12G TOTAL FAT | 3.5G SAT FAT |
5G MONO FAT | 2G POLY FAT | 120MG CHOL | 1,130MG SODIUM | 1G FIBER
NOTE:
- This spicy ground-chicken dish is known as larb in Laos and Thailand. It’s often served over lettuce, cabbage, or vegetables, with steamed sticky rice. We like to serve it in lettuce cups for an Asian take on tacos.
MORE ABOUT LEMONGRASS:
- Lemongrass, a stiff grass native to India, is widely used as a herb in Asian cuisine. Evergreen in warm climates, lemongrass is a sharp-bladed, perennial, blue-green grass that grows in 3- to 6-foot-tall cascading clumps.
This citrusy plant plays a starring role in many Southeast-Asian cuisines, adding its unique flavor to everything from curries to cold drinks. Not long ago, it was nearly impossible to find except in Asian markets. But these days, lemongrass is going mainstream, making its way into the produce section of your supermarket.
CHOOSING
- Much of lemongrass’s flavor is concentrated in its lower, canelike stalks, which is why most markets sell them already trimmed of their leafy tops, leaving just a few short, spiky blades still attached. Look for firm, pale green stalks with fat, bulbous bottoms and reasonably fresh-looking tops (they may be a little dry but shouldn’t be desiccated or yellowed).
PREPPING
- There are two main ways to cook with lemongrass, and each determines how you handle it. To infuse teas, broths, soups, and braising liquids, trim off the spiky tops and the bases, crush the stalks with the side of a knife to release their aromatic oils, and then cut them into 1- or 2-inch pieces. Remove the pieces before eating (they tend to be woody) or eat around them.
- To use lemongrass in marinades, stir-fries, salads, spice rubs, and curry pastes, trim the top and base of the stalks—you want to use only the bottom 4 inches or so. Then peel off any dry or tough outer layers before finely chopping or mincing.
- Lemongrass holds up to long cooking and gains intensity the longer it’s cooked. If you’d like a strong lemongrass flavor, add minced lemongrass at the start of cooking, browning it along with the other aromatics. For a lighter, fresher lemongrass flavor, add it near the end of cooking.
STORING
- To store, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 to 3 weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months.
