CHICKEN SOONG (Chinese minced chicken salad, for four)

1 pound ground chicken

20 cashews, roughly chopped

3 dried shiitake mushrooms, softened in hot water, stemmed and finely chopped

3 scallions, 2 finely chopped, the green part of 1 julienned

4 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry

1 teaspoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon sugar

kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons peanut oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

16 iceberg lettuce leaves

sweet Asian chile sauce

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1. Put chicken, cashews, mushrooms and chopped scallions into a bowl. Combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, cornstarch, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour over chicken and toss. Let marinate 15 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over high heat. Add garlic and cook for 10 seconds. Add chicken mixture; cook stirring, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl.

3. To serve, spoon some of the chicken onto each lettuce leaf. Garnish with julienned scallion and a little chile sauce.

 

from Saveur Magazine