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 P
Dorset
L E N T Y 
The Vit l Ingredi ent
Lettuce
Whether stuffed into a sandwich, dressed up in a salad or even grilled,
Tom East can’t get enough luscious leaves. When he can find them…
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n a balmy Saturday evening in the midst of the April heatwave,
I ventured to the supermarket to buy some lettuce for this
month’s recipe, but there were no leaves on the shelves – no
icebergs, no butterheads, not even a little gem. It seems that as
soon as the sun is out, we literally can’t get enough lettuce.
It’s not hard to see why. From burgers to burritos and bagels to good old
baps, there’s hardly a filled bread product that’s not made complete with
the fresh crunch of lettuce leaves. While all manner of Italian classics,
including pizza, gnocchi and a rich lasagne, benefit from a bit on the side,
dressed to the nines.
Many of us will have grown up when salad meant naked round lettuce
leaves or, if you were lucky, shredded iceberg plonked next to a quiche;
dressings didn’t get more sophisticated than salad cream. You may never
wish to return to those days, but you’ll think differently if you try making
your own version with single cream, mustard, white wine vinegar, sugar,
salt and pepper – mop it up with crunchy, sweet little gems.
In fact, it’s hard to ever find a reason for not making your own
dressings. It takes less than a minute to whisk together one part balsamic
with three parts extra virgin olive oil for a simple dressing for soft, baby
leaf salad with cherry tomatoes and slivered spring onions. Different leaves
call for different dressings – your classic British gems and butterheads
benefit from a mustardy vinaigrette, while robust Hearts of Romaine can
stand up to the power of a homemade caesar dressing, lovingly made with
anchovies, Parmesan, garlic, white wine vinegar and mayo.
Packed with vitamins A and K, lettuce is a great raw food, but that
doesn’t mean that you can’t cook with it. Grilling a little gem gives it a
whole new flavour and texture – charred, crispy and slightly bitter on the
outside, s