turkey in lettuce wraps

i'm sick of leftovers. it's time for asian food. ok, asian inspired food.

i have to be honest, i was real leery of the fish sauce. i psyched myself up to use it until i went shopping for it. i had a hard time finding it on the shelf of the asian section, so a twenty-something woman stocking the shelves helped me. needless to say she did not recommend i use the fish sauce. but i went with it anyway.

one piece of advice: do not smell the fish sauce. it will totally turn you off of whatever dish you're making and the thought of any fish dishes. it is not so good.

before (L) & after (R) adding the sauce

but i'm glad i used it. turns out the sauce was perfectly flavored, but a bit salty. no fishiness whatsoever. and this is definitely quick. and could easily be made with beef.

notes:

• the original recipe called for a shallot. since i didn't have any, two small onions did me just fine.
• i added all of the sauce to the cooked turkey and let most of the water cook out, to thicken the sauce just slightly.
• we had romaine hearts left over from late last week, so we used those. next time i'll definitely go with iceberg. the romaine has a different taste and it comes through.
• next time i'm going to use low sodium soy sauce to make it less salty.

turkey in lettuce wraps
based on everyday food's stir-fried turkey in lettuce wraps

total time start to finish: 30 minutes, 4 hearty servings

1/4 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
vegetable oil
1 onion or shallot, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey
lettuce

1. mix the soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
2. heat a wok over high heat. coat the bottom with vegetable oil and add the onion, ginger, and garlic.
3. cook for about one minute, until the ginger and garlic are fragrant.
4. add the turkey and cook completely. use a wooden spoon to break up the chunks.
5. add the soy, fish, sugar sauce and cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed by the turkey, about 5 minutes.
6. serve inside lettuce leaves.