Yogurtsoda Gratuitous food and travel.

sometimes i wonder if i’ll ever tire of east asian food. what if i wake up one morning and my penchant for chap chae, tom yom gung, and mee goreng disappear? oh the horror.

until then, i’ll keep on happily cooking it all. these meatballs aren’t exactly authentic vietnamese fare, but they’re tasty, make a great hors d’oeuvre, and are fun to eat. once the meatballs are cooked, just wrap them in lettuce cups and season with the garnishes of your choice.

recipe:

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 T fish sauce (nuoc nam)
2 shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced
3 T chopped cilantro
1 T chopped mint, plus more for serving
1 1/2 t cornstarch
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 c sugar
1 head romaine lettuce, leaves separated
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
asian chili sauce, for serving

1. preheat the oven to 400 degrees. in a food processor, pulse the chicken until coarsely ground; transfer to a bowl. add the fish sauce, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, choppped mint, cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix well.

2. line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. spread the sugar on the plate. using slightly moistened hands, roll the chicken mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. roll the meatballs in the sugar until they are evenly coated. transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet and bake them for 20 minutes, until they are lightly browned and cooked through.

3. meanwhile, arrange the lettuce, mint leaves, cucumber, onion and chili sauce on a platter. transfer the meatballs to the platter and serve.