There’s a lot more to lettuce than salad | Chefs

My backyard has produced an abundance of lettuce (primarily butter lettuce) this yr however there’s a restrict to how a lot salad I can eat. What else can I exploit them for? Julian, by e mail“Begin considering of lettuce, and particularly butter lettuce, as bread or a taco shell,” says Jesse Jenkins, creator of Cooking with Greens, and fortunately this can be a “extremely adaptable” technique, too. Certain, you may pile in grilled spicy pork stomach and herbs, however this dinner repair additionally works properly “with every thing an enormous inexperienced salad does: a chunk of properly grilled protein, some sauce, a couple of pickled crunchy issues, all wrapped in an enormous, lovely inexperienced leaf”. However why cease there? “I additionally like to make use of butter lettuce to wrap cheese toasties,” Jenkins says. “It catches all of the fatty goodness and acts as a barrier between the crunchy bread and the roof of your mouth.”Lettuce can also be an amazing provider of flavour, so braising is one other potential ploy. “Begin with a base of onion and garlic,” suggests Yohei Furuhashi, head chef at The Lavery in London, then individually brown some rooster thighs and add them to the onions with somewhat thyme, a splash of wine and a few rooster inventory. Then tear in some lettuce and simmer for 10-Quarter-hour to “let all of the flavours come collectively”.Julian may also give his ample greens a fast stir-fry “with olive oil and garlic, then combine with cooked lentils, herbs and chilli and serve with salmon”, Furuhashi says. Alternatively, get a thrill from the grill, says Alice Energy, head chef at The Black Swan at Oldstead close to York. “Halve or quarter lettuces, and get them on the barbecue. Pair with stone fruit and grilled halloumi or rooster, and that can really feel very totally different from an ordinary salad.” Dressing-wise, the purpose is to steadiness the smokiness, which may performed in myriad methods: “Go candy and fruity, or creamy and herby, or one thing fairly spicy,” Energy says.In any other case, it’s a reality universally acknowledged that few issues can’t be remedied by soup, and tackling an extra of lettuce isn’t any totally different. “Take any Asian-style broth with chilli, coriander and rooster, then add the lettuce and it’ll take in all that juice,” Furuhashi says. Energy, in the meantime, would relax by mixing stated lettuce into gazpacho or a relaxing inexperienced and herby soup. Asimakis Chaniotis, of Myrtos in London, alternatively, takes inspiration from a fricassee of lettuce with lamb, which is often eaten in Greece at Easter. “Because it’s summer season, I’ve been making a model with fish,” he says, and for the time being meaning pink bream. He begins by sweating onions and garlic, then provides lettuce and herbs (parsley, mint, dill, basil, chervil) and cooks for only a minute or two. Cook dinner some fish, and serve with an avgolemono sauce (AKA whisked egg yolks, lemon juice and cornflour), which Chaniotis fancies up by turning it right into a foam.All that stated, typically the only resolution comes from a change in mindset, Energy says: “Begin considering of lettuce as a lighter-style leaf, resembling spinach,” and stir it by sauces and pasta on the final minute. “Or shred lettuce and add to a courgette and herb risotto,” she says. “That may be good at the moment of yr.” And who am I to disagree?