- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 3 large cloves garlic, very finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese black bean sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 head green-leaf lettuce, leaves separated
- 1 large carrot, coarsely shredded on a box grater
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup shredded mint
- In a medium bowl, toss the diced chicken thighs with the garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Let the chicken stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small cup, combine the soy sauce with the dry sherry, black bean sauce and sugar. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch.
- Heat a large skillet or wok until very hot to the touch. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat until smoking, swirling the skillet to coat with the hot oil. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry over high heat until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Stir the sauce and add it to the chicken, stirring to coat; cook just until the sauce is thickened and glossy, about 1 minute.
- Arrange the lettuce leaves, shredded carrot, sliced scallions and shredded mint in separate serving bowls and serve with the chicken.