Lettuce wraps are a family favourite, adults turn into little kids when they arrive at the table. I love them, but we usually are stuck with an Asian-influenced recipe that is mostly boring. Here is one that is wonderful on its own and divine with this amazing peanut satay sauce. Yes, I sometimes make dishes just so I can have it with this satay sauce, it is really that good. This super simple recipe is a Middle Eastern version of the dish. I substituted ground chicken, instead of ground turkey, but the chillies and lime zest take this recipe over the edge. I could eat a dozen of these! They are perfect for this very warm weather.
Sabrina Ghayour is a chef, TV celebrity and cookbook author. She has published a number of cookbooks, and yes I have most of them, with absolutely amazing recipes. I have just got this book and started cooking through the recipes, they are amazing, like this wrap. You will definitely see more recipes from both this book and from this fantastic chef. Photo credit: Nisha Bilgrami
For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 loaded teaspoons of coriander seeds
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 heaped tablespoon ginger paste
2 red chillies, finely minced, deseeded for less spicy
Zest of 2 limes
1 lb ground chicken (or turkey)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons mint, chopped
Iceberg lettuce
Roasted peanuts
Scallions, sliced
Lime wedges
Satay sauce, recipe below
For the peanut satay sauce:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 green chillies, finely minced
1-inch tender stem lemongrass, finely minced
1 teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 lime, or to taste
Salt and white pepper to taste
To make the peanut satay sauce, heat the oil in a small pot and gently sauté the garlic, chillies, and lemongrass for 45 seconds till cooked but not browned. Add the red chilli powder and stir. Take off the heat and add the peanut butter and coconut milk. Mix well. Put back on a low flame and cook the mix till the oils are extruded out of the paste and the peanut sauce turns a beautiful light brown, about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and mix in the cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
This sauce has a lot of oil due to the peanut butter and coconut milk, I drain it by making a depression in the centre of the sauce and allowing the oils to collect in the pot. Spoon off gently with a teaspoon. Pat down with paper towels to remove excess oils.
To make the Chicken, add the oil to a pot and sauté the coriander seeds for 20 seconds till they begin to change colour. Add the garlic ginger and chillies and continue to sauté till cooked through and the ginger begins to turn colour.
Add the ground chicken, salt and pepper and cook on medium heat working the mince with a spatula to break up up the crumbles to very small pieces, you want it to be a small crumb size, not lumpy. Sauté till the meat has given out its juices and is cooked through. Take off the heat.
Mix in the mint when cool.
To serve, ladle the meat into the lettuce cups. Serve alongside with the other sides and let the guests choose how they want to enjoy the wraps.