Ingredients
- Serves 8
- 1 tbsp sherry
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- A little squeezey honey
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced, seeds removed
- Splash olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts, skinless
- Big knob ginger, peeled and grated
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- Bunch spring onions, finely chopped
- 200g chestnuts, chopped
- Small bunch coriander, chopped
- 4 Baby Gem lettuces, leaves separated, washed and dried
Mix together the sherry, cornflour, soy, honey and hoisin and set aside.
Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan, and over a medium heat, fry the chilli. Turn the heat down a little and cook the garlic and ginger, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Blitz the chicken breasts in a food processor (unless you’ve bought minced chicken – about 800g will do it) and add in the liquid that you’ve set aside.
Blitz for a couple of seconds until blended and then transfer the whole mixture to the saucepan with the garlic, ginger and chilli.
Mix well and saute for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Add the chopped chestnuts and coriander. Taste and season.
To serve, spoon a dessertspoon or so of the mixture into each leaf. Garnish with the spring onion and, if you like, tiny rounds of sliced red chilli.
Or you can cool this mixture down, chill it overnight and serve in the same way, but cold. They are delish and moreish either way.
dkemp@irishtimes.com
Food cooked and styled by Domini Kemp and Gillian Fallon
