Recipe: Vietnamese Meatballs In Lettuce Cups

Vietnamese Meatballs In Lettuce Cups

Makes about 2 dozen meatballs

Jennifer Beckman of Falls Church triples the recipe for this flavorful appetizer to serve 40 people.

The meatball mixture can be made 1 day in advance. On the day of the party, assemble the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and hold them in the refrigerator. Adapted from a recipe by author Jennifer Joyce that appeared in Food & Wine magazine (May 2006).

1 stalk lemon grass

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 1/2 -inch pieces

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

3 small shallots, finely chopped

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint, plus 1/3 cup leaves for garnish

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch