iceburg lettuce

[hotMeat]

After agreeing with a friend that iceburg lettuce (IL) has a mighty tasty flavor and a certain summer crispness that can't hardly be found elsewhere, and a briefly deriding celery for being overly priased, I decided to try to bring out its flavor. I started by throwing a whole head in a blender with a couple tbs of olive oil and a couple tsp of salt. Although i wouldn't say that I've extracted IL flavor yet, I would say that I mad a very light, almost yogurtlike, sauce that would be good on anything from lamb to stringbeans. It's almost like a lassi, and it's taking all I have to not drink a glassful.

Next step will be to let it sit for a few hours and then try straining out any remaining solids. I just wanted to share my fortuitous discovery with everyone.

[petite tête de chou]

I love iceberg lettuce! So do others...click.

When I was young my mother bought IL exclusively since that was the only lettuce readily available at the time. But she soon graduated to romaine and now she loves those pre-bagged mixed baby greens. But nothing beats a big ol' head of crispy, water-lovin' goodness.

I've never heard of whirling it in a blender. Dang. I'm on it. Thanks for the tip!

[jsolomon]

I've heard rumors of people cooking lettuce. Is iceberg one that people have cooked successfully? If so, would you care to share some tips with a curious fellow?

[Jaymes]

Especially in summer, its cool crispness is welcome. I like to mix a little in with the 'floppy' lettuces for a nice mixture of textures.

When I lived in Asia (for three years), we couldn't get good ol' iceberg lettuce. Nor any other lettuce either, where we were anyway. So we subbed Chinese Cabbage. Believe me, that made iceberg lettuce even more attractive.

[Jaymes]

I've heard rumors of people cooking lettuce.  Is iceberg one that people have cooked successfully?  If so, would you care to share some tips with a curious fellow?

Two Fat Ladies have a recipe for cooked peas & lettuce, which I've made often to great success. And although iceberg lettuce isn't my first choice for this recipe, it turns out pretty tasty as well.

Peas & lettuce

[Carrot Top]

I've heard rumors of people cooking lettuce.  Is iceberg one that people have cooked successfully?  If so, would you care to share some tips with a curious fellow?

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Iceberg, cooked, only in that peas recipe.

But there is a nice recipe for "Lattughe Ripiene in Brodo" (stuffed lettuce leaves in broth) that uses Boston lettuce, if you are interested.

[mizducky]

I've heard rumors of people cooking lettuce.  Is iceberg one that people have cooked successfully?  If so, would you care to share some tips with a curious fellow?

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Dunno about cooking with iceberg lettuce specifically, but Italian escarole soup is a mighty tasty thing. And the Victory Garden Cookbook has a bunch of recipes for cooked lettuces of various sorts. I tried that book's suggestion for braised romaine once, when I had a huge amount on hand that needed to be used up fast. You basically halve the heads lengthwise and braise in butter and/or broth, seasoning gently, as the finished lettuce flavor is pretty gentle and mellow itself. I suspect quartered cored heads of iceberg might also work in this recipe. In fact, I would think one could cook lettuce using any cooking method for delicate-textured greens (think spinach or chard, only milder in flavor).

[gourmande]

Cooked iceberg lettuce? Mais oui!

I make a lovely cold summer soup that has iceberg lettuce as its main ingredient. The lettuce is cooked along with leeks, green peas and herbs, puréed, chilled, then blended with heavy cream or yoghurt. It makes a very refreshing cold summer soup.

[Bill Miller]

After agreeing with a friend that iceburg lettuce (IL) has a mighty tasty flavor and a certain summer crispness that can't hardly be found elsewhere, and a briefly deriding celery for being overly priased, I decided to try to bring out its flavor.  I started by throwing a whole head in a blender with a couple tbs of olive oil and a couple tsp of salt.  Although i wouldn't say that I've extracted IL flavor yet, I would say that I mad a very light, almost yogurtlike, sauce that would be good on anything from lamb to stringbeans.  It's almost like a lassi, and it's taking all I have to not drink a glassful. 

Next step will be to let it sit for a few hours and then try straining out any remaining solids.  I just wanted to share my fortuitous discovery with everyone.

←

You and I are both brave. I made a "bloody" mary from a Gourmet suggestion using English cucumbers, celery, horseadish, green tabasco, worcestershire sauce,vodka, salt and pepper. It didn't please me. Glad your experiment turned out better.

[nacho]

I've heard rumors of people cooking lettuce.  Is iceberg one that people have cooked successfully?  If so, would you care to share some tips with a curious fellow?

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There's a great little taqueria around the corner from my work that serves a very unique jalepeno salsa...it's creamy in texture with a very strong jalepeno flavor. I've gotten pretty close to duplicating it at home, but they do something to cut the heat from the jalepenos and add a level of creaminess that I'm not doing correctly. I've suspected they are cooking lettuce and adding to the mix, but I haven't gone experimenting down that path yet b/c I had never heard of people cooking lettuce. I think I'll try it now though.

[hotMeat]

So after (do the math) hours of letting my pureed IL with a little evoo and salt sit in the fridge, I boisterously asked my friend to "taste this." His wince was discouraging and when I went in to verify, I realized that time had taken it's toll on my leafy liquid. Oxygen! DAMN YOU! Anyway. The delicous creamy sauce had metamophasized into a pungent, garbage-like brew. Grody! Next time I'll put some acid in there to slow down the oxidation. Boo-hoo, another perfectly good head-o-IL gone to waste. what a shame.

[vytoh]

I've heard rumors of people cooking lettuce.  Is iceberg one that people have cooked successfully?  If so, would you care to share some tips with a curious fellow?

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My mother has always served stirfried iceberg lettuce leaves with garlic and oyster sauce. I grew up thinking it was normal until my SO pointed out that hardly anyone ever cooks lettuce. I love it though - damn cheap and tasty! Just chop some garlic and throw into a hot wok with a bit of oil. When fragrant, throw in you IL leaves (pref torn in half but not too small) and stir until they wilt (drizzle a little water over them to help the process if required). shake some oyster sauce in to taste - as the lettuce cells break down, the water in them should escape and mingle with the oyster sauce to form a yummy light gravy/sauce for the dish. Serve with hot rice and other dishes as appropriate.

[Poffertjes]

Iceburg cut into wedges and grilled is a great side to whatever else you are grilling on a lazy summer afternoon.

[sugarcookie]

You and I are both brave.  I made a "bloody" mary from a Gourmet suggestion using English cucumbers, celery, horseadish, green tabasco, worcestershire sauce,vodka, salt and pepper.  It didn't please me.  Glad your experiment turned out better.

That sounds like something I might try, seeing as tomato juice is the sickest thing in my world.

[mizducky]

Dunno about cooking with iceberg lettuce specifically, but Italian escarole soup is a mighty tasty thing. And the Victory Garden Cookbook has a bunch of recipes for cooked lettuces of various sorts. I tried that book's suggestion for braised romaine once, when I had a huge amount on hand that needed to be used up fast. You basically halve the heads lengthwise and braise in butter and/or broth, seasoning gently, as the finished lettuce flavor is pretty gentle and mellow itself. I suspect quartered cored heads of iceberg might also work in this recipe. In fact, I would think one could cook lettuce using any cooking method for delicate-textured greens (think spinach or chard, only milder in flavor).

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Okay, I must have hallucinated that the braised romaine recipe came out of the Victory Garden cookbook, but there are a bunch of other recipes for cooked lettuces in there. Where I got the braised romaine recipe from, I now have no clue--perhaps I started with something else from Victory Garden and morphed it somehow.

[rooftop1000]

As it usually happens something comes up in here then Bam its on Food Network. Last night was Altons vinager show and he took wedges of Romain and sprinkled the cut side with cheese and promptly laid it in a hot nonstick pan to crisp the cheese. Then served it with frozen red wine Vin spooned on top.

looked very cool

T

[PassionateChefsDie]

I've heard rumors of people cooking lettuce.  Is iceberg one that people have cooked successfully?  If so, would you care to share some tips with a curious fellow?

Two Fat Ladies have a recipe for cooked peas & lettuce, which I've made often to great success. And although iceberg lettuce isn't my first choice for this recipe, it turns out pretty tasty as well.

Peas & lettuce

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This is a french classic Peas a'la Francaise the peas need to be the sweetest first crop the butter the best you can find and not to much Beurre Mainere soz for French spelling mistakes. But on cooking lettuce where does chicory fall into this? I'd find you more recipes for chicory than any other lettuce is chicory lettuce though, I love the sweet bitter leaves.