Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Quick Pickled Carrots + Puffed Rice Noodles

For the Puffed Rice Noodles

• vegetable oil for frying
• Vermicelli rice noodles

For the Quick Pickled Carrots + Shallots

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 medium carrots peeled and julienned
• 2 shallots halved and thinly sliced lengthwise

For the Chicken

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 shallot thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1-3 Thai bird chiles minced, seeds removed for less heat
• 1 ½ lbs ground chicken
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 packed tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 3 scallions thinly sliced on a bias

Assembly

• Boston bibb butter or iceberg lettuce leaves separated, washed and dried
• fresh cilantro fresh mint, fresh Thai basil or a combination of all three washed, dried and large stems removed
• Sriracha hot sauce