The Villages Gourmet Club Recipe

Cane Garden Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wrap
by Chef Louis Santiago - Cane Garden Country Club Restaurant

This is the recipe from Chef Louis Santiago as demonstrated at the October 4, 2015 Gourmet Club Meeting.
Serves: 4 people. Preparation time: 25 minutes. Lettuce Wrap

4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
2 Heads Iceberg Lettuce
½ C. Sliced Water Chestnuts
1 t. Sesame Seeds
2 t. Sliced Scallions
1 t. Cilantro
½ C. Teriyaki or Soy Sauce
¼ C. Shredded Carrots
¼ C. Snow Peas
1 C. Chow Mein Noodles
1 Lime
1 C. Vinaigrette Dressing
Canola or Vegetable Oil for Frying
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan to 375-400 degrees (medium heat). Add the Chicken Breasts (cook 2 at a time), salt and pepper to taste and cook until each are cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Let them cool. Cut the Lettuce Heads in half, then peel out 8 Lettuce Shells from the outer layers to be filled later. Quarter the Limes. Now cube the Chicken Breasts into ¼ to ½ inch squares.

Clean the sauté pan and add the Teriyaki Sauce, Cilantro, Scallions, Sesame Seeds and Water Chestnuts with the Diced Chicken. Simmer until warm. Remove from heat and add the Peas and Carrots and mix them. Portion out the Vinaigrette Dressing into 4 small individual containers. To assemble, spoon the Seasoned Chicken Mix into each Lettuce Shell. Top with some Noodles and squeeze some Lime Juice over them. Roll the ensemble and use the Vinaigrette Dressing as a dipping sauce for each bite. Makes 2 per person.

"Lettuce Wrap" - As early as 1894 they were mentioned in The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine as being a sandwich where bread with lettuce filling was used. Eventually a tortilla or other flat bread was substituted for sandwich bread, then omitted entirely, where the lettuce is the outer component. Once considered peasant food, wraps are now found in fine dining establishments.