Lettuce Wrap with crumbled beef, pine nuts and fried cellophane noodles

This is a cross-over dish masterminded by me: my granny's version of Ants on the Tree (minced beef with fried cellophane noodles) and San Choi Bao (Thai lettuce wrap). The crispy fried noodles soak up the beef juices, the pine nuts add to the crunch and the lettuce leaves bring freshness to the dish. This is so popular with Y that it has become the default dish for using up beef mince...

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1. 400g beef mince (you can also use mince pork or a combination of both)
2. 3 teaspoons light soy
3. 2 teaspoons dark soy
4. 3 teaspoons Worcesterhsire sauce
5. 6 tablespoons water
6. 1 teaspoon cornflour
7. 2 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons oil
8. 50g pine nuts
9. 100g celloaphane noodles
10. 1 iceberg/romaine lettuce

Method:

• Marinate the beef with light soy, dark soy, Worcestershire sauce. Stir in 6 tablespoons of water until the mince has absored the water. Then add it cornflour and mix well. Finally add 2 teaspoons of oil. Marinate for at least about 3 hours.
• Toast the pine nuts on a pan on low heat/in a baking tray in the oven for about 3 minutes. Watch closely as pine nuts burn easily. Let cool.
• Wash the lettuce leaves in cold water and drain them well. Trim if necessary.
• Deep fry the cellophane noodles by heating a deep pot/pan and fill with about 1.5 inch of oil. Test whether the temperature is ready by dropping a strand of cellophane noodle into the oil. If it puffs up instantly, the oil is ready. Add the cellophane noodles into the oil, they should puff up in seconds. Take out the fried noodles immediately and drain on kitchen paper.
• In a shallow pan/wok, put 2 teaspoons of oil when the pan/wok is hot. Tip in the marinated beef mince. Use a wok scoop/spatula to loosen the mince while you go. When the mince is cooked, adjust the seasoning if necessary. If there is not enough juice left, add in 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce with 3 tablespoons of cold water. If the juice isn't thick enough, add in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Cook for a further minute.
• Place the beef mince on top of the fried noodles and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve with lettuce leaves.