Mark Diacono
LATIN NAME
Lactuca sativa
SEASONALITY
Main season May–October but lettuce can be grown in the British Isles all year round
MORE RECIPES
Nasturtium and pink peppercorn soup; Little Gem with crushed broad beans and Parmesan; Curried new potatoes, red onion and lettuce; Spider crab salad; Chicken and blueberry salad with coriander dressing
The selection of lettuce in our shops and markets is ever-increasing. And, of course, if you grow your own lettuce, you’ll have an even greater range of flavours, colours and textures to call on.
There are two main types of lettuce. Most prevalent are those that form definite heads (firm, at least in the centre). Among the best-known ‘heading’ types are the Romaine (or Cos) varieties, which can be tall and elegant, or quite compact, as with ‘Little Gem’. Romaines hold a dressing exceptionally well, making them great salad all-rounders, whether in a simply dressed leaf-fest, or a more substantial affair such as a classic Caesar or Niçoise.
Crispheads (also heading types) are firm and round, and often pale or even white in the centre. Moist, crisp and crunchy, they give a refreshing bite to a salad. ‘Iceberg’ is the ubiquitous crisphead but there are more exciting examples. ‘Reine de Glace’ is the queen – a spike-edged leaf with elegance, lots of flavour and a refined texture. You may find it in a box scheme or market, or you could try growing some yourself.
Butterheads (pictured next) are altogether more relaxed, with thin, almost oily leaves. These are the old-fashioned lettuce we used to eat with tomatoes and salad cream. They have been superseded to a large extent by the crunchy and the crisp, but try a tender butterhead and you’ll be reminded how lovely and flavoursome they can be. ‘Buttercrunch’ (old-school green in colour) and the multicoloured ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’ are the stand-out butterheads. Soft and, yes, buttery, they are fabulous dressed only in good olive oil and salt.
The second main category of lettuce comprises those with loose leaves. Far too idle to create a centre, these loll about in the sun, their often deeply lobed leaves moving with the wind. Don’t let that fool you: the likes of ‘Lollo Rosso’ and green (or red) ‘Oak Leaf’ are delicious and come with a certain delicacy of texture.
The main British lettuce season runs from mid-May until October, though different varieties and protected growing – using fleece or polytunnels – can extend the season.
Whichever lettuce you are using, the importance of the dressing is hard to overstate. Few lettuces have a full-on flavour. They are more often subtle, even borderline bland, but with the right dressing – be it a classic vinaigrette, a honey-mustard dressing or a lively blue cheese and orange mix – the leaves are taken in quite different directions.
The very best, sweetest lettuce should be eaten raw as soon after harvest as possible, though kept in the bottom of the fridge, its lifespan can be extended by a few days. But lettuce can be cooked successfully too, which is a good option if it’s a little past its best, or you have a glut on your hands.
Romaine (or Cos) varieties are the ones for griddling or barbecuing, Little Gems especially. Their substantial physique stands up to the intense heat. Halve the whole lettuce lengthways, coat in a slick of olive oil and sear on a griddle or over charcoal until they start to blacken. Plenty of salt and pepper is all they need to become a great snack or side dish.
The more flavoursome lettuces – often the loose-leaved ones – make superb soups. For the simplest of quick lunches, soften a handful of chopped spring onions in a little butter, then add 3 shredded lettuces and a couple of handfuls of frozen peas and cover with 400ml light stock (chicken or vegetable). Bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes and then purée in a blender. Season and reheat to serve. For a touch more refinement, top with a few slices of lightly fried chorizo, and/or add a little lovage to the spring onions, or sprinkle with a little celery salt.
Lettuce also works wonderfully as a kind of light green, where you might otherwise use, say, chard or spinach. It can be used to finish a curry, for example, and firm heads can be quartered, lightly cooked, then baked with onions and cheese in a savoury tart. Lettuce makes a fabulous braised side dish with peas and shallots (petits pois à la française) too, and it’s one of my favourite ingredients in a summer risotto. You can even use flavoursome butterheads to make a light pesto.
Lettuce is easy to grow. Sow seed outside from March, or a month earlier under cover, in modules, then plant out when a few centimetres tall. Lettuce likes cool temperatures to germinate, so in summer either sow direct in shade or a cool indoor spot. As well as being uprooted entirely, once they’ve grown to full size, many lettuces can be cut (or plucked), leaf by leaf, 5cm or so above ground, leaving the base and roots to drive new growth.
This cut-and-come-again method gives you maximum return from your seeds, effort and space and it means you can pretty much create your own salad bag, using whichever varieties you like. Mix your ‘Australian Yellow Leaf’ (large, gorgeous, bright green/yellow crinkled leaves with a good crunch and sweet flavour) with a little ‘Really Red Deer Tongue’ (deep red-black and nutty), or your ‘Flashy Butter Oak’ (splashes of deep red on pale green), with the red/purple, crisp Romaine leaves of ‘Devil’s Tongue’. They go as well together in the kitchen as they do in the garden.
LETTUCE AND SPRING ONION TARTE TATIN
Dense, sweet Little Gem lettuces work well in this radical departure from the classic tarte tatin. Serves 4
250g ready-made puff pastry or home-made rough puff pastry (see Pruney Sausage Rolls)
3 Little Gem lettuces (about 250g)
20g butter
1 tbsp cider vinegar
30g caster sugar
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Leaves from 1 sprig of thyme
About 100g spring onions, trimmed and cut into 2–3cm pieces
Sea salt and black pepper
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)
75g soft ewe’s or goat’s cheese, sliced or crumbled
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
If the pastry is not already rolled, roll it out to a 4–5mm thickness. Invert a 20cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan or tarte tatin dish on the pastry and cut out a circle to fit the top of the pan. Put the pastry in the fridge to rest.
Slice the lettuces in half lengthways and trim back the stalks to the base of the leaves.
Put the frying pan or tarte tatin dish over a medium heat and add the butter and cider vinegar. Once the butter has melted, sprinkle over the sugar and cook for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan now and then as it bubbles, until the mix starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat.
Sprinkle the garlic slices and thyme leaves over the buttery caramel in the pan. Now add the lettuce halves, cut side down, fanning them out in a circle with the hearts towards the middle. Fill in the gaps between the lettuces with the cut spring onions. Season with salt and pepper.
Drape the circle of puff pastry over the top of the veg and tuck in the edges around the lettuce. Prick the pastry surface all over with a fork and bake for about 30 minutes, until it is golden brown.
Leave the tart to cool slightly in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then invert a plate over the top, hold the plate and pan firmly together and turn over, so the tart is unmoulded on to the plate. Pour any juices left in the pan back over the tart, along with any sticky bits that have adhered to the pan.
Serve the tarte just like this or, to make even more of a meal of it, top it with some cheese, chopped parsley and mint, a squeeze of lemon juice and a trickle of extra virgin olive oil.
