Recipe: Vietnamese Meatballs In Lettuce Cups

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

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

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup sugar

1 head Boston or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated (tough outer leaves discarded)

1 small seedless cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise, for garnish

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced, for garnish

Asian chili sauce, such as Sriracha brand, for dipping

Using the back of a chef's knife, smash the lemon grass to release its juices. Trim off 3 to 4 inches of the tough green stalk, and remove several layers of tough outer leaves. Cut the remaining lemon grass in half lengthwise, then finely chop.

In a food processor, pulse the chicken thighs until coarsely ground; transfer to a large bowl. Add the lemon grass, fish sauce, shallots, garlic, 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon of chopped mint, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix to combine; the mixture should hold together easily. (At this point, the mixture can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the sugar on a plate. Using slightly moistened hands, roll the chicken mixture into 1 1/4 -inch balls. Roll the meatballs in the sugar until evenly coated and place on the baking sheet. (At this point, the meatballs can be held in the refrigerator for a few hours until ready to bake. Drain and replace the parchment paper, if necessary; the sugar coating may cause the meatballs to "weep.")

When ready to bake, position a rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the meatballs on the top rack and bake for 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, arrange the lettuce leaves on a large serving platter. Scatter the remaining cilantro and mint leaves and the cucumber and onion slices evenly over the top. Place 1 warm meatball on each lettuce leaf. Serve with chili sauce for dipping.

Per 2-meatball serving: 61 calories, 8 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 31 mg cholesterol, 0 g saturated fat, 462 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Maryann Haggerty; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com