Grilled Apricot Lettuce Wraps With Thai Herbs Recipes

THAI LETTUCE WRAPS (LARB GAI, LAAB GAI)

Steps:

• Sauce: Place water and cornflour OR rice powder into a small bowl. Mix into a slurry. Add lime juice, fish sauce and sugar and mix to combine. Set aside.
• Heat peanut oil in a wok (or heavy based fry pan) over medium high heat. Add ginger, garlic, lemongrass and chilli and sauté for 45 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn, it will taste bitter.
• Add the chicken and turn up the heat to high. Cook the chicken, breaking up the mince into small pieces.
• Once the chicken turns white and is almost cooked through (about 3 to 4 minutes), add Sauce. Cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute to coat the chicken and for the sauce to thicken.
• Remove wok from heat. Stir through onion, coriander/cilantro and mint.
• Spoon filling into a bowl, and serve with lettuce, peanuts, extra herbs and lime wedges on the side - leave everyone to make their own. Spoon filling into lettuce cups and garnish with what you want!
• Sauce option: Take it over the top by serving with Thai Peanut Satay Sauce, as pictured in the first photo in post! It's extra amazing (though not traditional!)

VIETNAMESE PORK LETTUCE WRAPS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix vinegar, sugar and salt until blended. Stir in carrots and onion; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., In a large skillet, cook pork, ginger and garlic over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until pork is no longer pink, breaking up pork into crumbles; drain. Stir in soy sauce, mirin, salt, pepper and, if desired, fish sauce., To serve, drain carrot mixture. Place pork mixture in lettuce leaves; top with cucumber, red pepper, green onions, carrot mixture and herbs. Sprinkle with jalapeno and peanuts; drizzle with hoisin sauce. Squeeze lime juice over tops. Fold lettuce over filling.

GRILLED APRICOT LETTUCE WRAPS WITH THAI HERBS

Steps:

• Heat a heavy-duty (preferably cast-iron) grill pan over medium-high. Combine the honey, white balsamic vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of warm tap water in a small mixing bowl. Slice the apricots in half, and remove and discard the pits. Dip the apricot halves in the honey-vinegar glaze, then place cut side down on the hot grill pan. Brush the outside of the apricots with a little extra glaze.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop the water chestnuts, and add them to a medium mixing bowl. When the apricots begin to soften and caramelize, after about 4-6 minutes, remove them from the pan and chill in the refrigerator while you finish chopping the other ingredients.
• Slice the mint, basil, and cilantro. Add to the mixing bowl. Slice the red Thai chili, and add to the bowl. Remove the apricots from the refrigerator, coarsely chop, and add to the mixing bowl. Squeeze half of a lime into the bowl. Season with a pinch of sea salt and mix gently to combine.
• Remove the tougher outer leaves of the lettuce, and pull at least 4 to 6 of the more tender inner leaves to use as cups. Fill each one with a generous ¼ cup of the apricot-herb mixture.
• In a blender, combine almond butter, tamari, tamarind paste, ginger, garlic, dates, and a few tablespoons of water. Drizzle sauce over the lettuce cups or serve as a dressing on the side. Garnish with chopped nuts.