If you only ever use lettuce to make salads and sandwiches, chances are you're looking for new ways to eat it. Thankfully, lettuce is a versatile vegetable that can be prepared in a variety of ways. Once washed, it will be easy to cook it with the technique of stir-frying, grilling or braising it.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Sauteed Lettuce
Step 1. Prepare everything you need
For the stir fry method you can try to use different types of lettuce, but for this recipe in particular the most suitable is the iceberg. You do not like it? Then you might want to give a similar strain a try, such as Roman. You will need:
- Garlic cloves;
- Kitchen knife;
- Iceberg lettuce (1 head);
- Large pan (or wok);
- Pepper;
- Rice wine (or dry sherry);
- Olive oil;
- Salt;
- Sesame oil;
- Small bowl (or container, for mixing);
- Soy sauce;
- Table spoon;
- Sugar;
- Whisk (optional, but recommended).
Step 2. Chop the lettuce
Once the lettuce is washed, water is likely to remain on the leaves. Blot it with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper, or let it air dry. Once dry, cut it into slightly larger pieces than a mouthful.
Step 3. Chop the garlic as needed
You can buy pre-minced garlic from the supermarket, but keep in mind that fresh garlic has a more intense flavor. Divide the fresh garlic into cloves, remove the outer peel, then cut it vertically and horizontally with a knife. You should chop it finely.
Step 4. Make the sauce
Take the small bowl, then pour in 1 1/2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil and 3 g of sugar. Mix the ingredients well with a whisk or other utensil, such as a spoon, until the sugar is absorbed well.
The sauce should be used to dress the lettuce when cooked. So put it aside
Step 5. Cook the oil and garlic in a heated pan or wok
You will need a relatively large wok or skillet for this step to avoid cramming it with food. If the pan is too full, stirring the ingredients will be difficult. Heat the skillet over medium heat, then:
- Coat the inside of the pan with olive oil. Once heated, rotate the pan to evenly grease the bottom.
- Grease the pan, put the minced garlic to cook. Stir it regularly and cook over medium heat until it begins to brown.
Step 6. Skip the lettuce
Put the lettuce in the pan. Mix it with the oil and minced garlic to coat it well. Cook it until it goes limp slightly, but remember that it should still be crunchy.
In most cases, about 2 minutes is enough. At that point it will be possible to season the lettuce with the sauce
Step 7. Season the lettuce and finish preparing the dish
At this point you will be on the home straight. Take the bowl that contains the sauce and pour it over the lettuce. Saute the ingredients in the pan for no more than 1 minute. Then, stir them with a spoon to season them evenly. Once they have cooled down, do the following:
- Taste the lettuce. Do you find you lack salt, pepper or other types of seasonings? Fix it now.
- Once cooled, the lettuce cooked with the stir fry method will be ready to be served. Enjoy your meal !
Method 2 of 3: Grilled Lettuce
Step 1. Prepare everything you need for grilling
Thicker, crispier, thicker lettuce leaves withstand the heat of the grill better. Therefore, it is preferable to use radicchio for this method, although you may also get a good result with similar variants, such as Belgian endive. You will need:
- Balsamic vinegar;
- Black pepper (preferably freshly ground);
- Cheese prepared with cow's milk;
- Kitchen knife;
- Olive oil;
- Sea salt;
- Plate;
- Forceps (or spatula);
- Treviso radicchio (2 heads).
Step 2. Cut the lettuce into 4 parts
If any water remains on the leaves after washing, pat them dry with a clean towel or kitchen paper. Then, cut the 2 lettuce heads into 4 equal parts using a sharp kitchen knife. Spread the lettuce on a clean plate and pour a drizzle of olive oil over it to coat it lightly.
Olive oil allows the condiments to adhere better to the lettuce, so take advantage now to add salt, pepper or other spices
Step 3. Heat the grill
To get started, check the grill to make sure it has gas and that the various parts are connected in the right way. A loose hose can cause dangerous gas leaks. Afterward, set it to medium temperature and let it warm up for 5-10 minutes.
You may want to cook the lettuce in a sturdy cast iron skillet to prevent the grill from turning it black
Step 4. Grill the lettuce
Arrange the lettuce on the grill surface. While cooking, turn it often with a spatula or tongs. Remove it once it has softened and slightly darkened. Generally it is necessary to calculate a cooking of about 12 minutes.
During cooking, take the opportunity to quickly rinse the dish in which you are going to serve it, so you can reuse it when the lettuce is ready
Step 5. Remove the lettuce from the grill and season it
Remove the lettuce from the grill using tongs or a spatula, then plate it up. Cut 75 g of cheese made from cow's milk using a kitchen knife and place it on top of the lettuce. Finally, pour in 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
The residual heat from the lettuce should help melt the cheese. Has it cooled down? Put it back on the grill for a moment or melt the cheese in the microwave
Step 6. Let it cool and serve
Let the lettuce cool for a few minutes, then serve it. Taste a small piece first to make sure it is well seasoned. In case it was bland, take advantage now to add all the toppings you want.
Method 3 of 3: Braised Lettuce
Step 1. Prepare everything you need to braise the lettuce
For this recipe you will need to serve braised lettuce on a slice of toast. As a result, the thicker leaves, such as those of romaine lettuce, allow you to prepare a more substantial topping for bread. Romaine lettuce can be replaced with other similar variations, such as iceberg or hooded lettuce. You will need:
- Ground black pepper;
- Bread knife (optional);
- Chicken broth (or vegetable broth);
- Ciabatta (or another type of homemade bread);
- Frying pan (preferably large);
- Olive oil;
- Romaine lettuce (1 head);
- Sea salt (coarse).
Step 2. Dry the lettuce
After washing, the leaves are likely to remain wet. Take a clean tea towel or kitchen paper and pat the lettuce dry. Select firm green leaves from the head of lettuce. It may be necessary to break them in half, this depends on the size of the bread and leaves.
Each braised lettuce leaf is used to garnish a slice of ciabatta or another type of homemade bread. Some leaves may be too thick for bread. In this case they must be cut to adapt to the size of the bread
Step 3. Slice and toast the bread as needed
It will not be necessary if you have purchased ciabatta or already toasted bread. If not, you will have to cut it with a kitchen knife and toast it using a toaster or electric oven.
Step 4. Grease a hot pan with olive oil
Place the pan on the stovetop and adjust the temperature to medium-high heat. Coat the bottom with olive oil. Rotate the pan once the oil has heated up.
Sometimes you may not be able to grease the pan evenly. In this case, help yourself with a spatula or spoon
Step 5. Prepare the braised lettuce
Put the lettuce in the pan. Apply good pressure to the stem that is in the center of the leaves using a kitchen utensil such as a spatula or spoon. If the leaves adhere well to the cooking surface, the lettuce will cook better.
- Cook the lettuce leaves at 1-2 minute intervals and turn them with a spatula after each interval.
- The ideal time to dress them? After shooting them for the first time. Keep salt and pepper by hand, so you can season them right away.
Step 6. Pour the chicken or vegetable broth into the pan
But first, remove the lettuce from the pan and arrange it on a separate plate with the help of a spatula or spoon. Pour 60ml chicken or vegetable broth into the pan and bring it to a boil.
You can enrich the broth by also adding 60 ml of white wine, a pinch of garlic powder, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a pinch of dried oregano and a pinch of pepper
Step 7. Finish cooking the lettuce in the broth
Lower the heat and allow the chicken / vegetable broth to simmer. Put the lettuce in the pan, cover it with a lid and cook it for about 7 minutes. Afterward, remove the lid and turn each leaf with a spatula or spoon. Put the lid back on and cook for another 3 minutes.
- The braised lettuce will be ready when the leaves have taken on a dark green color. Remove it from the pan with the spatula or spoon.
- Leftover chicken / vegetable broth can be made into a lettuce sauce. Just boil it for a few minutes until thick and then pour it over the lettuce when serving.
Step 8. Absorb the excess fat, cool the lettuce and place it on top of the cheese
When cooked, move the lettuce onto kitchen paper to cool it and absorb excess oil. Sprinkle the cheese on the toast. Then, fold each lettuce leaf in half and use it to garnish the bread. The braised lettuce will be ready to serve.
