Chicken Wrapped in Lettuce Leaves

½ egg yolk

1 tablespoon rice wine

½ teaspoon cornstarch

6 ounces chicken breast, finely chopped

3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

Salt to taste

2 dried black mushrooms, soaked in water till soft, drained and finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped bamboo shoots

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Ground white pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Asian roasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon white wine

Rice noodles, deep-fried till crisp and drained

Lettuce leaves (any kind, best if in a half round shape), washed and dried

Whisk together the egg yolk, wine and cornstarch and combine with the chopped chicken.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or saute pan over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the chicken until thoroughly cooked; add salt to taste. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the mushrooms to the same pan, stir-frying until you can smell their aroma; then add the bamboo shoots and salt to taste. Cook a few minutes more and then remove from the pan.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the garlic just until fragrant. Do not cook the garlic too long; it'll turn black. Return the chicken mixture to the pan and stir-fry together. Add white pepper to taste, splash in sesame oil and white wine, then just couple more stirs and take out immediately. Place on a serving plate or bowl and mix in the deep-fried rice noodles.

Let your guests serve themselves by spooning onto the lettuce and rolling up.

Serves two to four as an appetizer; one as an entree.

Chef Jack Liang, Asian Bistro, Arlington Heights