Thai Lettuce Wraps with Tamarind Cashew Sauce

Before we were married, Trevor lived in Southeast Asia for 2 years and often craves anything with lemongrass or fish sauce in it. Thompson has also been excited lately about trying foods from different countries, so this meal goes over really well with both of them whenever I make it. Thompson also loves getting to decide how he wants to assemble his own wraps. I am also a big fan of these thai lettuce wraps because they taste light but are filling. Another bonus, the leftovers are great to take for lunch since you don’t have to reheat anything.

This recipe may look like it has a lot of components, but it is actually one of my favorite fast meals, because both the sauce and the chicken–the two parts with the most ingredients–can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer. The sauce for this recipe makes more than you will need, but I like to have extra to use in other ways or to freeze, so plan to halve it if you want to make only enough sauce for the recipe.

Thai Lettuce Wraps

 

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Ingredients

• FOR THE CHICKEN:
• 1 stalk lemongrass, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ to 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced into ½-inch strips lengthwise
• FOR THE PICKLED CARROTS:
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup distilled white vinegar
• 3 large carrots, julienned
• FOR THE TAMARIND CASHEW SAUCE:
• ½ cup cashews
• 1 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• ¾ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 2 medium garlic cloved
• 2 green onions, white and light green parts only
• ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 3 teaspoons honey
• 6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• ¾ teaspoons tamarind paste
• 1-3 tablespoons of water, if needed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• FOR ASSEMBLING:
• 4 ounces brown rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated

Instructions

1. For the chicken:
2. In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients except for the chicken. Blend well.
3. Place chicken in a large plastic bag and add marinade. Refrigerate at least 1-2 hours or up to overnight to marinate.
4. Preheat a non stick grill pan over medium high heat. Cook chicken until fully cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.
5. For the carrots:
6. In a large bowl, stir together the salt, sugar, and vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Add carrots. Cover tightly and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to use, drain carrots.
7. For the tamarind cashew sauce:
8. Place all ingredients except for water in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender. Pulse until well combined. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
9. For assembling:
10. In lettuce leaves, add a small amount of rice noodles, then a strip of cooked chicken. Top with pickled carrots and a spoonful of the tamarind sauce. Serve.

Notes

For freezing: Freeze chicken in marinade. Let thaw in the refrigerator then cook according to directions and make remaining components. Sauce can also be frozen and thawed when ready to use.

Source: carrots from Food and Wine, chicken adapted from Serious Eats, tamarind cashew sauce adapted from Just a Pinch

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