Serves 4

2 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and chopped
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. dark soy sauce
1 Tbs. sherry
1 tsp. chicken stock
pinch of sugar
4 Tbs. chopped chives
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
12 iceberg lettuce leaves, washed, dried and crisped
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup pickled ginger, finely minced

Place the chopped chicken in a bowl and add the egg yolk, water, cornstarch and salt. Let marinate 15 minutes.

Heat a wok until very hot, then add the canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and stir-fry, separating the pieces with a spatula until the chicken is cooked.

Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic, stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the dark soy sauce, sherry, chicken stock and sugar and mix well. Add the golden chives and the pine nuts, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Present on a platter coverwith lettuce leaves. Place the hoisin sauce and the pickled ginger in dishes on the side.

To serve: Using a lettuce leaf as the “taco shell,” spread a little hoisin sauce and ginger on the leaf. Place 1 or 2 spoonfuls of the chicken mixture on the shell and wrap the lettuce leaf around the stuffing.
(Rebecca Ets-Hokin)