Flavor on a leaf

LETTUCE cups at a Chinese restaurant seem like a cliche -- a dish that easily falls under suspicion as one of those faux Chinese dishes made up for Western palates.

In truth, it’s a bona fide traditional dish, made popular in Hong Kong’s restaurants decades ago. It was a minor stroke of genius when Cantonese cooks took the yang of a hot stir-fry and added the yin of a cool leaf of lettuce.

The marvelous contrast of the lettuce cup extends to the filling, which brings together crunchy vegetables and tender meat -- pork, chicken or squab, a bird with delicately flavored dark meat. Hoisin sauce is often served on the side, but the mark of a great filling is that the optional sauce is just that -- optional.

Sure, you can find lettuce cups in restaurants, but make them at home and your effort will be amply rewarded. All a cook needs to do is bring in flavor right from the start, long before filling meets lettuce. Just because the Chinese restaurant around the corner blands it down doesn’t mean the possibilities aren’t great.

It so happens that one of the most traditional Cantonese fillings is based on an intensely flavorful ingredient rarely seen on menus these days: dried oysters.

These have a concentrated briny flavor, and Chinese cooks tend to use them sparingly, adding depth by using just a few of them in vegetable stews or pork broths. Dried oysters are used more generously on special occasions, partly because they’re regarded as luxurious and perhaps mostly because their Cantonese name, hoe see, sounds like the word for “good things.” Put that together with a homonym for lettuce, saang choy, and you’ve got a dish that says good things are coming your way. Think new years and birthdays.

An old family cookbook from Hong Kong called “Chopsticks Recipes, Traditional Dishes” turned up a somewhat cryptic recipe that turned out to be spectacularly good. The ingredient list was on the long side, playing up traditional ingredients such as bamboo shoots, fresh water chestnuts, pickled vegetables and dried shiitake mushrooms.

Try making dried oyster lettuce cups and you’ll see that they’re special for another reason: They require some time and effort. The cooking itself takes just a few minutes, but first you’ve got to gather up and slice, dice and grate the ingredients. And unless you already have a Chinese pantry, you’ll have to go shopping.

The oysters, which must be softened by hours of soaking, are mixed with two kinds of pork, an assortment of fresh vegetables (snow peas, bamboo shoots, carrots and water chestnuts) for crunch, and various herbs, spices and seasonings, including cilantro, ginger and sesame oil, to round off the flavors.

When buying dried oysters, choose the larger, meatier ones (at least 3/4 -inch wide). The dish also calls for Sichuan preserved vegetable, which means you should get the pickled tuber of the mustard greens (and not the leaves). And if you can find them, buy fresh bamboo shoots (sold either in vacuum-sealed plastic bags or in bulk at the produce section of a Chinese market) and fresh water chestnuts, which are crisper and sweeter (like jicama) than their canned counterparts.

As with everything about this dish, every bit of effort pays off with a whole lot of flavor. The overall reward is a deliciously unique dish -- one that you most likely can’t have unless you make it yourself.

Chef Andrew deGroot offers a more modern take at Yu Restaurant in Santa Monica. For his beef lettuce wraps, he brings in a battalion of flavors by combining browned ground beef with a tantalizing combination of sweet, salty and spicy sauces and finishing it with fresh mint and cilantro.

DeGroot serves the filling with bibb lettuce, also called Boston or butterhead lettuce, making more of a wrap than a cup because you can fold the leaves’ frilly edges over the filling. “We’ve used iceberg and Romaine,” he says, “but we found it works just as well with the butter lettuce because it’s already shaped like a cup.”

You can mix and match lettuces with fillings, and even venture past the usual suspects.

Radicchio leaves, for example, set off a shrimp-artichoke filling beautifully. In this version, tender-crisp shrimp gets a flavor punch from lemongrass and a slight crunch from blanched artichoke hearts, which make a nice modern stand-in for bamboo shoots or water chestnuts. The filling has added texture from crisp-fried rice vermicelli and a pleasantly bitter edge from the radicchio leaf (OK, radicchio isn’t really lettuce, but it works well as a cup).

With lettuce cups, there’s no limit to playing with the flavors inside and out. Nor should there be. With a dish this fun to eat, making it should have a spirit of adventure -- whether you’re coming up with your own modern version or trying an old recipe with exotic ingredients.

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Beef lettuce wraps

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 as an appetizer

Note: From chef Andrew deGroot of Yu Restaurant & Lounge in Santa Monica.

10 ounces lean (20% fat) ground beef

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1/2 cup diced water chestnuts (strained of all water)

1/4 cup sweet Thai chile sauce, such as Mae Ploy brand

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons kechap manis (Indonesian soy sauce)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped mint

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

1 large head bibb lettuce, cleaned and leaves separated

1. Saute the ground beef until thoroughly cooked, about 5 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain the beef of all juices and oils.

2. Place a medium saute pan over high heat. Add the grapeseed oil. Saute the water chestnuts until crisp, 2 minutes. Add the beef, sweet chile sauce, soy sauce and kechap manis. Mix until the sauces are incorporated. Cook about 1 minute. Add the mint and cilantro, mixing well.

3. Transfer the mixture to a 4-ounce bowl and garnish with the green onions. Place the bowl onto a larger plate (the restaurant uses an 8-inch-square one). Surround the bowl with the lettuce leaves. Serve with a spoon for scooping the filling into the leaves.

Each serving: 225 calories; 13 grams protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 16 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 41 mg. cholesterol; 1,121 mg. sodium.

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Dried oyster lettuce cups

Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes plus soaking time

Servings: 4

Note: Adapted from “Chopsticks Recipes, Traditional Dishes” by Cecilia J. Au Yeung. Dried oysters are available from Chinese markets such as Hong Kong Market, Shun Fat and Tak Shing Hong in Monterey Park; Wing Hop Fung in Chinatown in downtown L.A.; and Superfood Warehouse in South El Monte. You can use canned bamboo shoots and water chestnuts if fresh ones aren’t available. Sichuan preserved vegetable, sold in vacuum-sealed plastic packs, cans or foil packets, is available at 99 Ranch markets, Tak Shing Hong in Monterey Park and Hawaii Supermarket in San Gabriel. Barbecued pork (char siu) is available at Chinese delis such as Lien Hoa Deli, Lucky Deli and Sam Woo Barbecue Express in Chinatown in downtown L.A. and some Chinese supermarkets.

4 ounces (1 1/3 cups) dried oysters

4 dried shiitake mushrooms

Pinch each salt and sugar

1/3 cup diced lean pork

1 teaspoon rice wine or sherry, divided

2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided

2 teaspoons soy sauce, divided

1/3 cup diced bamboo shoots, preferably fresh

2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, divided

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup finely diced carrot

2/3 cup thinly sliced snow peas

1/3 cup diced water chestnuts (about 6 whole pieces), preferably fresh

1/2 cup finely diced Chinese barbecued pork (char siu)

3 tablespoons diced Sichuan preserved vegetable

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

1 head iceberg lettuce, cleaned, separated into leaves and trimmed into cups

1. Rinse the dried oysters and shiitake mushrooms. In separate bowls, soak them in cool water until soft, at least 4 hours depending on the size and hardness of the oysters. When done, the oysters should feel tender at their thickest. (You can leave both the oysters and the mushrooms soaking, even overnight, until you are ready to cook.)

2. Remove the oysters and mushrooms from the water and transfer to a bowl. Reserve one-fourth cup of the oyster water; be careful not to get any of the grit. Toss the oysters and mushrooms with a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar and half a teaspoon of oil. Transfer the mixture to a steamer basket in a single layer. Steam until tender, about 20 minutes. When they’re cool enough to handle, squeeze the water out of the mushrooms and finely dice them. Chop the oysters in quarter-inch dice. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the lean pork, one-half teaspoon rice wine, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. In another small bowl, combine the reserved oyster water with 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon soy sauce.

4. Have all of your ingredients ready and within reach. Place the bamboo shoots in a nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Dry-saute the bamboo shoots, letting some of the water evaporate, about 2 minutes. (Don’t let them brown; lower the heat if necessary and turn it back up for the next step.)

5. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, the ginger and the green onions, stir-frying about 30 seconds. Add the carrots, sauteing until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the marinated pork. When the pork is browned, add the snow peas, cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Turn up the heat to high and add the oysters, mushrooms, water chestnuts, barbecued pork and preserved vegetable. Mix well and heat through. Stir in the oyster sauce, then add the remaining half teaspoon rice wine. Make a well in the center and pour in the cornstarch mixture, stirring and cooking till thickened, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat; stir in the sesame oil, remaining teaspoon of oil and cilantro.

6. Serve in a large bowl with a spoon, with the lettuce cups on the side.

Each serving: 289 calories; 15 grams protein; 27 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 14 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 50 mg. cholesterol; 514 mg. sodium.

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Shrimp artichoke lettuce cups

Total time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4 as an appetizer

Note: You can substitute romaine leaves for the radicchio. Rice sticks are available at Asian grocery stores or in the Asian-product aisles of some supermarkets. Deep-fried, they add crunch to the filling.

2 large artichokes (about 1 pound each)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/8 teaspoons salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice wine

2 teaspoons cornstarch

8 ounces peeled shrimp, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup thin rice sticks (optional)

2 tablespoons oil, divided, plus additional 2 to 3 cups for deep frying (optional)

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced lemongrass

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (including stems)

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 head radicchio, separated into leaves and stem ends trimmed

1. Trim the artichokes, removing the leaves and trimming any outer hard green portion left on the bottoms. Cut the heart in half and discard the fuzzy choke. Bring a small pan of water to boil. Add the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt. Then add the artichoke heart halves, cooking until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain. When cool enough to handle, dice the artichoke. You’ll have about two-thirds cup diced artichokes.

2. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, soy sauce, rice wine and cornstarch. Stir in the shrimp. Marinate for 15 minutes.

3. If using the rice sticks, place 2 to 3 cups of oil in a small deep-sided saucepan. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Add the rice sticks and remove when they puff and float to the surface, a few seconds. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet or plate. Let the noodles cool. Break into small pieces and put in a small serving bowl. Set aside.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and stir-fry. When the shrimp is almost cooked through, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, diced artichoke, lemongrass, green onions, vinegar and cilantro. Heat through. Season with salt and white pepper.

5. Transfer the filling to a bowl and serve with radicchio leaves and, if using, puffed rice sticks.

Each serving: 181 calories; 15 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 86 mg. cholesterol; 561 mg. sodium.