Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground chicken breast
  • 1 cup water chestnuts, finely diced
  • 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, finely minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 head butter lettuce

Instructions:

  1. Prep the greens. Separate the butter lettuce leaves carefully. Submerge them in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Note: This creates a rigid crunch that holds the filling. Pat them completely dry with a paper towel before serving.
  2. Sear the chicken. Heat the neutral oil over medium high heat in your skillet until it starts shimmering. Add the ground chicken, breaking it into small crumbles with a spatula, and cook until golden brown edges develop.
  3. Add the texture. Stir in the minced mushrooms and diced water chestnuts. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until mushrooms soften and release their moisture.
  4. Bloom the aromatics. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger. Stir constantly for 60 seconds until the fragrance fills the kitchen.
  5. Glaze the mixture. Pour in the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir well to coat the meat in the dark, savory glaze.
  6. Thicken the sauce. In a small cup, mix cornstarch and water. Stir this slurry into the pan and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce becomes glossy and thick. For a better understanding of how slurries work to thicken sauces, check out this guide on [cornstarch techniques](https://www.seriouseats.com).
  7. Final touch. Fold in the sliced green onions just before removing the pan from the heat.
  8. Assemble. Spoon a generous amount of the warm filling into each chilled leaf.