Yields 12 wraps

Serve lettuce wraps as an appetizer, or as a main course with stir-fried rice vermicelli.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 red bell pepper

½ 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and drained

½ 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

1 teaspoon sugar

4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

1 teaspoon minced garlic clove

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed

with 2 tablespoons water

2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 teaspoon sesame oil

• Wash the chicken and pat dry. Pound lightly to tenderize. Cut the chicken into thin slices approximately 2½ inches long.

• Wash the lettuce, and dry and separate the leaves. Remove the seeds from the red pepper and chop into bite-sized pieces. Slice the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots into 1-inch pieces.

• Mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese rice wine, and sugar. Set aside.

• Add 2 tablespoons oil in a preheated wok or heavy skillet.

  When oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry briefly, then add the chicken. Stir-fry until it is browned and nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.

• Add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the water chestnuts and celery. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, then add the red pepper. Add the bamboo shoots. Stir-fry until the vegetables are brightly colored and tender. Add the sauce. Give the cornstarch/water mixture a quick stir and add in the middle, stirring quickly to thicken. Stir in the green onions. Drizzle with sesame oil.

• To prepare lettuce wrap, lay a lettuce leaf flat. Place one-twelfth of the chicken combined with the vegetable/sauce mixture into the middle and roll up the lettuce leaf.