Recipe

August 20, 2015

Lettuce Wraps With Grilled Steak And Korean Fried Chicken

Recipe: Eric Vellend

Dig in to this help-yourself buffet of Korean lettuce wraps with grilled strip loin, crunchy fried chicken, steamed rice and spicy condiments. It’s a revelatory mix of tastes and textures, and you won’t stop eating until every morsel is gone.

Ingredients

Fried Chicken

  • 1 1⁄2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into long fingers
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp minced ginger
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1⁄2 cup ice water
  •  2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Sauce

  • 1⁄4 cup Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
  • 1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

Wraps

  • 2 12-oz. N.Y. strip steaks Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 heads hydroponic Boston lettuce, leaves washed and separated
  • 3 cups kimchi

  • Steamed rice (recipe follows)
  • Radish or mustard green sprouts for garnish (optional)

Directions

Yield: Serves 6-8

Korean lettuce wraps — called ssäm — are also delicious with slow-roasted pork shoulder or belly. The fried chicken strips can be made an hour ahead of time, kept at room temperature and quickly reheated in the oven.

  1. Preheat oil in a cast-iron pot to 350°F. Toss marinated chicken with 1⁄4 cup cornstarch. Whisk together remaining 3⁄4 cup cornstarch with salt and water. Dip chicken in cornstarch slurry, let excess drip off, then dredge in panko. (Keep stirring the slurry as you’re breading.) Working in batches, fry chicken, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel.
  2. To make sauce, whisk together all ingredients in small bowl until combined. Cover and set aside.
  3. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes. Preheat grill to high. Grill steaks until desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.
  4. Arrange chicken and steak on serving platters. Place on table with sauce, lettuce, kimchi, rice and sprouts, if using. Have guests build their own wraps by filling lettuce with rice, meat and condiments.
Photographer:

Donna Griffith

Source:

House & Home September 2012