Thai Chicken Hatch Chile Lettuce Cups

by Katie Chin, Tastemaker in Residence

Ingredients

Sauce:

• ½ cup sugar

• ½ cup water

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

• The juice of two limes

• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar

• 2 teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla)

• 1 fresh hot red or green pepper, preferably Thai, deseeded and finely sliced

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil

• 2 teaspoons minced galangal or fresh ginger

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 Melissa’s Hatch chile, roasted, deseeded and diced

• 1/2 pound ground chicken

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion (white and green parts)

• 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 8 lettuce leaves

Instructions

Make the sauce: Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cool slightly. Mix ¼ cup of the syrup with the ginger, lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce and chili in a small bowl. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Discard remaining syrup.

Make the filling: Heat oil in a wok or skillet on medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground chicken and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add the chiles and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Add cilantro, green onion, lemongrass, fish sauce and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dish out and transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve chicken mixture with lettuce leaves and ginger lime dipping sauce, allowing guests to form their own wraps.