Stuart Collins takes inspiration from both China and Spain to create this delicious fusion snack. Yuk sung is a Chinese recipe of fried mince flavoured with ginger, garlic and soy sauce and served in easy-to-eat lettuce wraps. The addition of spicy Spanish chorizo makes these little bites even more moreish. You could can line the lettuce leaves with some cold, cooked noodles instead of the crispy rice if you prefer.
Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the diced chorizo. Cook until the fat has rendered out and the chorizo is nicely golden, then remove the chorizo from the pan leaving the bright orange oil behind (reserve the cooked chorizo)
Add the pork mince to the pan and cook for a few minutes in the chorizo oil until almost cooked. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mince from the pan and set it aside with the chorizo. Again, try to leave as much of the chorizo oil in the pan as possible
Return the pan with the oil to the heat and add the diced carrot. Sweat for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and ginger. Cook for another 2 minutes then add the mushrooms
Once the mushrooms have softened, add the chorizo and pork mince back into the pan and turn up the heat. Add the light soy sauce with the honey and bring to the boil, then add the cornstarch-water mixture and cook out for a minute until the sauce has thickened slightly
Remove from the heat and stir the spring onions through the mixture (reserving a small handful for garnish)
Lay out the little gem leaves onto serving plates and add a spoonful of the crispy puffed rice onto each, followed by a spoonful of the mince mixture. Top with the sliced chillies, more spring onion and a final sprinkle of the puffed rice and serve immediately
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