Posted by unknown on August 08, 2001 at 19:11:56:
In Reply to: Lettuce Wraps posted by Susan on August 08, 2001 at 13:25:57:
LETTUCE PACKAGES
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1 large head iceberg lettuce
6 to 8 dried mushrooms
1/2 c. finely diced bamboo
shoots
12 to 16 water chestnuts
3/4 lb. ground pork
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. gourmet powder
(optional)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chicken stock
3 1/2 Tbsp. peanut or
vegetable oil
1 c. finely diced celery
Cut the lettuce in half with a knife. Peel off the
largest of the leaf halves and arrange on a serving dish. Set
aside.
Soak the mushrooms in hot water to cover for 20 minutes.
Drain and squeeze to extract liquid. Trim off the stems and
discard; slice the mushrooms fine. Combine mushrooms, bamboo
shoots and water chestnuts and set aside.
Mix the pork, egg, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch
together well. Combine the wine, sugar, gourmet powder and
salt and set aside. Blend the remaining teaspoon of cornstarch
with half the chicken stock and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or skillet and when
almost smoking, add the pork mixture, stirring quickly and
constantly to separate the pork. When the pork is cooked, add
the mushroom mixture and cook, stirring about 2 minutes. Add
the sherry and sugar mixture and the remaining chicken stock
and cook about 15 seconds, stirring. Stir the cornstarch
mixture to make certain it is properly blended. Stir this into
the pork, stirring to distribute it. Turn into serving plat-
ter; accompany meat with platter of lettuce leaves.
Each guest fills a cold lettuce leaf with a spoonful of
mixture, then wraps it between the fingers and eats the package
while it is hot. Serves 8.