Curried Chicken in Lettuce Leaves

Yield: 20 appetizer servings

Ingredients

• 6  medium-size dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
• 1  cup  hot water
• 6  green onions
• 1 1/4  to 1 1/2 pounds skinned and boned chicken thighs
• 1/4  cup  vegetable oil, divided
• 1  serrano chili pepper, minced
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  Thai curry paste
• 1/2  cup  canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 3  tablespoons  soy sauce
• 1  medium carrot, shredded
• 1  small Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
• 1  cup  frozen tiny sweet green peas
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 3  tablespoons  cornstarch
• 3  tablespoons  cold water
• 1  cup  loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2  heads romaine lettuce

Preparation

Soak mushrooms in hot water 30 minutes; drain, reserving liquid. Rinse mushrooms in cold water; pat dry. Remove and discard stems; thinly slice tops. Pour reserved liquid through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a measuring cup; reserve 1/2 cup.

Slice green onions, separating green tops from white portions. Set aside.

Remove excess fat from chicken. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.

Sauté chicken in 2 tablespoons hot oil in a large skillet 5 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; cool. Coarsely chop chicken. Set aside.

Sauté white portion of green onions and serrano pepper in remaining 2 tablespoons hot oil in a large skillet 1 minute; add mushroom liquid, curry paste, coconut milk, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, carrot, and next 3 ingredients; simmer 3 minutes. Stir in chicken.

Whisk together cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in basil and green onion tops. Serve over romaine lettuce leaves.