Salad Ways favourite Lettuce Recipies

  for you and your family!

Diana Henry’s

Braised Little Gems with creamy carrot purée

 

Serves  4   

 

*as a side dish with fish or chicken.

Ingredients

  • 4 Little Gem lettuces
  • 25g butter
  • 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed
  • 300ml chicken or vegetable stock for the purée
  • 400g carrots, trimmed and chopped
  • 200ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • 15g butter
  • 2 tbsp double cream
  • lemon juice, to taste
  • white balsamic vinegar, to taste

Granny’s

Butterhead Lettuce Soup

 


Serves 4

 

*serve with crusty bread!

Ingredients

  • 2 heads butter lettuce
  • 2 large leeks (white and light green parts only), split lengthwise, rinsed well, and sliced
  • 30 grams butter
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
  • ½ cup of milk or ½ cup of half and half (¼ cup full milk and ¼ cup of light cream mixed together).

Preparation

 

1      Put the carrots in a pan with the stock. Bring to the boil and cook, covered, until completely tender. You may need to add a little more water, depending on the size of your pan.

 

2      Purée the carrots with a few tablespoons of the cooking stock, the butter and seasoning.

 

3      Stir in the cream, then a squeeze of lemon and drop of balsamic to taste. You need a well-seasoned purée that is sweet but has a touch of sharpness. Set aside.

 

4      Remove any discoloured outer leaves from the Little Gems and trim the bases if they’re holding any soil. Wash, carefully pat dry and then cut in half.

 

5      Melt the butter in a sauté pan and cook the whole spring onions over a medium heat until the bulbous ends are pale gold. Lift out on to a plate, then sauté the Little Gems in the same pan until they have a little colour on both sides. Season.

 

6      Add the stock to the pan and put the onions back in. Bring to simmering point, then turn the heat down and cook the gems very gently for about 15 minutes. Carefully turn them over halfway through the cooking time. They will wilt and be tender right through to the centre but still hold their shape.

 

7      Reheat the purée and divide it between four plates, topping each with a Gem and spring onions.

 

Spoon on some of the cooking liquid, if you like.

Preparation

 

1        Cut ribs from lettuce and chop. Chop leaves. Set both aside separately.

 

2        Melt butter in a large saucepan.

 

3        Add sliced leeks and lettuce stems, ground nutmeg, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

 

4        Cover with lid and cook on very low heat until tender, stirring occasionally to avoid browning (about 10 mins).

 

5        Stir in lettuce leaves and stock.

 

6        Cover with lid and bring to a boil on high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer until lettuce is tender. (1 – 2 mins).

 

7        Use a blender to blend the soup – this may need to be done in batches.                  Return blended soup to saucepan and add in milk (or half and half).  Heat, stirring, over medium heat until steaming – about 2 mins.  (Don’t let boil – as milk (or half and half) might curdle).

 

8        Ladle into bowls and sprinkle a little ground nutmeg on top.