Grilled Chicken Nems

For this recipe, the chicken is marinated in an Asian-flavored sauce before being grilled. The dish is served in a Vietnamese-style wrap, rolled with carrot ribbons in crispy lettuce leaves.

Ingredients

• Chicken
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) hoisin sauce, plus extra for serving
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated
  • Zest of 1 lime, finely grated
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) lime juice
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) toasted sesame oil
  • 340 g (3/4 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Garnish
  • 1 large carrot, cut into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler
  • 45 ml (3 tbsp) Vietnamese dipping sauce (nuoc-cham)
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) lime juice
  • 8 leaves of frisée or Boston lettuce, tough stems removed
  • Fresh coriander, mint, and/or Thai basil, to taste

Preparation

• Chicken
  1. In a bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients, except the chicken. Add pepper to taste. Add the chicken and toss to coat evenly with the marinade.
  2. Preheat the barbecue to high heat and oil the grill.
  3. Grill the chicken for 6 minutes per side or until fully cooked. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice the chicken into thin strips.
• Garnish
  1. In a bowl, combine the carrot ribbons with the nuoc-cham sauce and lime juice. Let it marinate for 5 minutes. Drain the carrots using a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Reserve the sauce for later use.
  2. Place the sliced chicken in the center of each lettuce leaf. Add the marinated carrots and herbs. Drizzle with hoisin sauce.
  3. Roll up the lettuce leaves around the filling. Serve with the reserved nuoc-cham sauce, if desired.

Enjoy your meal!