Lettuce, first domesticated in the Caucasus 6,000 years ago for its oil-rich seeds, has been a salad staple since Greek and Roman times. But this versatile leaf, now grown in hundreds of varieties, is increasingly finding its way into cooked dishes, from grills and gratins to soups and even desserts.
Nutritionally, lettuce is far from a blank slate. It provides calcium, vitamins K, A, C and folate, though levels vary by type: romaine lettuce, for instance, contains ten times more vitamin A than iceberg.
Cooked lettuce is a common practice among chefs. Nigel Slater braises it with peas, leeks and ham; Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall bakes it in a gratin with spring onions, double cream and bacon; Emily Scott makes a little gem tart on puff pastry. Grilling is also popular: Tom Hunt chars wedges like hispi cabbage, while Yotam Ottolenghi splits romaine heads and serves them with salsa roja and a charred corn relish.
Soups are another outlet. Simple lettuce soup uses onion and potatoes; Anna Jones and Delia Smith pair it with peas and herbs. Rachel Roddy offers lettuce parcels stuffed with cheese, egg, nuts and herbs in a broth, and a Romanian version combines bacon, spring onions, garlic, dill and lettuce, thickened with egg yolks and yoghurt. For a Keralan twist, a thoran stir-fry mixes lettuce with coconut, while Rukmini Iyer's lemongrass chicken lettuce wraps turn leaves into edible handles.
Wilted lettuce need not be wasted. Tom Hunt suggests a green mayonnaise, and a romaine cream sauce recipe specifically calls for damaged, old leaves. Lettuce can also be blitzed into smoothies or, more surprisingly, made into a panna cotta with lemon zest and sage, as featured in Jenn Louis's cookbook 'The Book of Greens'. With so many options, even a lettuce that outlasts a short-lived premiership can be put to good use.
