Matt Preston makes mince of chicken

AS A nation we love beef mince, lamb mince, pork mince, even chicken mince - and this leads us to a world of possibilities!

chicken dumplings Taste

AS A nation we love beef mince, lamb mince, pork mince, even chicken mince. Most of us spend our time in the world of the former whether it's making burgers or bolognese.

This leads us to a world of possibilities for chicken, instead of beef, mince.

While chicken mince has a simpler, cleaner flavour it also is lower in fat. The danger is, the very leanness that makes it a healthy alternative also means it risks being dry. 

-- TOSS IT THAI STYLE

ONE of my favourite ways to use chicken mince is in a South-East Asian salad, whether as a Thai larb or a version of those Chinese lettuce cups called sang choi bau.

For the former, fry 500g chicken mince with a finely diced onion, then toss through 3 cups shredded Chinese "wombok" cabbage, 1 cup coriander leaves, 1 cup mint leaves, 1 cup bean sprouts and 1 cup salted peanuts. Douse with a dressing made from 1/2 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup fish sauce and 1/4 cup palm sugar, and add some ground roasted rice.

Sang choi bau is traditionally made with minced quail or pork, but works well with chook mince. Fry 500g chook mince in hot oil with a thinly sliced bunch of spring onions, 1 finely diced carrot, 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon five spice powder. When it colours add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/4 cup sherry or shaoxing wine and 1 tablespoon Chinese rock sugar or white sugar. Cook until syrupy and throw in a drained, diced 227g can water chestnuts and 100g lap cheong, cut into chunks.

To make the lettuce cups, cut out the core of an iceberg lettuce, and place into iced water. This will help crisp up the lettuce and help part the leaves. Dry and place on a plate with a bowl of hoisin sauce. Dunk the mince mix in the cups but don't overfill. Top with hoisin sauce.

More Thai-style recipes

-- FILL UP ON TACOS

THE tastes of Mexico also go well with chicken mince. Fry up 500g chicken mince in a little oil at a high heat with 2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon crushed cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 bay leaf, two crushed garlic cloves and a finely diced red capsicum.

When the mince is cooked, remove from pan and de-glaze the pan with 1/2 cup sweet sherry. When it reduces by half, throw the mince back in and stir.

Remove from the heat. At the last moment, roughly stir through 1 tablespoon sour cream so it marbles the mince and serve immediately.

Fill taco shells with the mince and then top with coriander leaves, sliced avocado, grated cheese, some rings of red chilli and a little tomato salsa made from finely diced tomato cheek with a squeeze of lime and some sliced spring onions.

Cook spicy mince at home

-- ROLL OUT THE RISSOLES

CHICKEN mince is also perfect for rissoles, koftes, sausage rolls, meatballs and hamburgers. Remember this is lean meat so it needs tender care or 20 per cent pork sausage meat to keep it juicy. Also sear the outside and then cook gently, whether frying the rissoles, cooking the meatballs in a spiced tomato sauce or skewering the kofte and grilling over a barbecue.

The secret is to think about the flavourings whether it's curry powder or a little preserved lemon, pine nuts and coriander seed to give your rissoles or kofte a Middle Eastern spin. Check out the recipes for all these ideas and more at www.taste.com.au. 

Yummy chicken bites!

In our house the most common use for chicken mince is for making pan-tanned bottom pot sticker dumplings, perfect as a family working bee with all the kids playing their part.

CHICKEN DUMPLINGS RECIPE

- Serves 6 
- Preparation time: 45 minutes + 2 hours for filling to rest
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
- Skills needed: Intermediate

---- 

400g chicken mince

227g can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, finely diced

4 spring onions, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, finely grated

3 tsp light soy sauce

4 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated

40 fresh flour wonton wrappers (these are also sold as gow gee wrappers in some supermarkets)

-- TO SERVE

Sweet chilli sauce, soy and more fresh ginger, or Chinese vinegar

Mix all the ingredients bar the wonton wrappers obviously together in a ceramic or glass bowl. Do not overwork, just pull it all together. Now place in the fridge and leave the filling's flavours to develop for a couple of hours.

On a floured board lay out six wonton wrappers and place a heaped teaspoon-sized dollop in the middle of each square.

Now gather up the opposite corners of the wrappers and pleat the dumplings so the filling is full encased and the pasta tightly encloses the filling. If you leave air in there you risk the dumplings bursting. This is more of an issue when you poach the dumplings in a broth.

Boil a kettle. Place a high-sided frying pan on the heat. You need one that you can fit a saucepan lid over to contain steam. Splash in some vegetable oil.

To cook the dumplings, place them in the hot oil with their bases sitting on the bottom of the pan. Leave for two minutes until golden. Pour in a cup of boiling water and pop on the lid. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for five minutes. While the first batch of dumplings is cooking, make the next batch.

Now check the dumplings. If they are cooked remove them and repeat the process.

Serve the dumplings immediately with chilli sauce, Chinese brown vinegar mixed with a little water and caster sugar, or soy sauce with finely julienned ginger.