HOISIN CHICKEN IN LETTUCE CUPS

These are such a crowd favorite as an appetizer no matter what you choose as the main course. You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs, but the thigh meat tends to keep much more of its moisture through the cooking process. You can cook the thighs on a grill or on the stove in a grill pan.

You can arrange all the condiments separately so everyone can make their own, but I like to make it easier and put them all together as easy finger food. This serves about 6-8 people as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup hoisin sauce (found in Asian section)
4 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbl soy sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cleaned and dried
1 head of Boston lettuce, leaves separated, cleaned and dried
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
2/3 cup chopped salted peanuts
1 fresh jalapeno thinly sliced crosswise (optional)
salt

Whisk together hoisin, vinegar and soy sauce. In another bowl season chicken with 1 tsp salt and 2 tbl hoisin mixture. Grill the chicken until well browned and almost beginning to blacken. Turn once and cook about 5 minutes a side. Let it rest about 5 minutes then dice and mix in remaining hoisin mixture.

To arrange, spoon the chicken mixture on each lettuce leaf and top with basil, mint, scallion, peanuts and jalapeno (if using). Roll the edges of the leaf up and around filling and serve on a platter.

They make a very elegant starter!
ENJOY!