Asian Chicken Cabbage Wraps
If you have extra filling with this recipe, like I did you can turn this into Spring Rolls! The only other ingredient you will need is wonton wraps and some cilantro but that is optional. The recipe follows this one.
Here is what you will need:
1 head of green cabbage ( you could also use Savoy cabbage)
1 pound ground chicken (or turkey, beef or pork)
1 small carrot, grated
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced plus more for garnish if you want
1 red chili, finely chopped (use less if you don’t like heat or skip)
1 TBS grated fresh or frozen ginger
¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
lightly toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Dipping sauce of your choice. You could also try a combination of soy sauce, grated ginger, sambal oelek (a garlic chili sauce) and sesame oil.
Here is what you need to do:
Peel 10 leaves off the cabbage and cut off the hard stem. In a large pot of boiling lightly salted water boil the leaves until soft then dunk leaves into an ice bath. When cooled remove from bath, separate them and set them on a clean towel to dry.
In a large bowl add the chicken, carrots, red chili pepper, water chestnuts, green onions, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. Using a fork lightly combine, don’t over mix it.
Place about 3 TBS of the chicken mixture on the bottom third of the leaf, leaving room on the sides. Fold the bottom edge over the chicken then fold the opposite sides towards each other. Starting at the bottom, roll it up and place it stem side down on a plate. Finish with the rest of the leaves.
Place rolls stem side down on the top of a steamer that you added some of your cabbage cooking water to. Cover with lid and steam for ten minutes.
I always have a tester roll that I check to make sure chicken is cooked through. When done place on platter and garnish with the sesame seeds and extra scallions.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Turn extra filling into Spring Rolls. Add about 1 cup of shredded cabbage to your chicken mixture. Heat a fry pan and add some oil and cook until the chicken is done. Place about 3 TBS of the cooked chicken mixture on a wrapper, sprinkle with a little fresh cilantro, moisten the edges with a little water and fold it just like you folded the cabbage wrap.
Place seam side down in a heated pan with oil. Cook about 2 minutes per side, until the wraps are golden brown. Slice in half on an angle. Serve with a soy dipping sauce or duck sauce.