Spicy Turkey Lettuce Cups
This recipe is full of flavour but is fresh and light at the same time, it also makes a delicious family sharing platter. My kids love a little heat in their food, so enjoy this level of spice, but you can of course decrease the heat, as needed. Serving with rice is also a great way to stretch the dish further and make it more filling. It also mellows out the level of spice.
I am using turkey mince, which is a good neutral base for the spicy and aromatic flavours in the dish. You could substitute with pork, or chicken mince, both would work brilliantly. Serve with more sweet chilli sauce and wedges of fresh lime.
ingredients ~
500g organic turkey thigh mince
1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and very finely chopped into mini dice
6 spring onions, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
2 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
2-4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
1 mild chilli, de-seeded and finely diced
2-3 tablespoons low salt soy sauce
extras, to serve ~
1-2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
sweet chilli sauce
6 little gem lettuces, or 3 larger romaine lettuce, washed and with the leaves separated for the “cups”
3 limes, cut into wedges
steamed jasmine rice (optional)
Take a large wok, or frying pan and bring up to a medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and quickly stir fry the turkey mince and finely diced carrots in the hot pan. Cook on a medium-high heat until the turkey mince is completely cooked through and starting to lightly brown at the edges. There should be no traces of pink meat. Next, add the flavour: freshly grated ginger, minced garlic, finely diced chilli and spring onion and stir fry for 2-3 minutes to bring all the flavours together. Finish with the low-salt soy sauce and finish for a final 1-2 minutes in the pan. Remove from the heat and tip into a serving dish.
Taste for seasoning and add more soy (as needed), then finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Serve hot, alongside the crisp lettuce cups, or with bowls of steamed jasmine rice. Sweet chilli sauce and fresh lime wedges on the side.