Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps - 2015 Albariño
- 1 lb Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed & cut into 1-1/2" pieces
- 3 tbsps Asian fish sauce
- 3 Small shallots, finely chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Stalk lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced
- 3 tbsps Cilantro, chopped plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
- 1 tbsp Mint, finely chopped plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
- 1 1/2 tsps Corn starch
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp Freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 Head Boston or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
- 1 Small seedless cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 Small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- Asian chili sauce for serving
Preheat the oven to 400°. Position a rack in the top third of the oven. In a food processor, pulse the chicken until coarsely ground; transfer to a bowl. Add the fish sauce, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chopped cilantro and mint, cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix with your hands.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the sugar on a 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 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and cooked through.
Meanwhile, arrange the lettuce, cilantro and mint leaves, cucumber and onion on a platter. Transfer the meatballs to the platter and serve with chili sauce.