Lettuce Challenge Revisited

Photo © Rob Jones

Way back in June, Anne-Marie gave me an ingredient challenge - and then cackled loudly, waiting for me to fall at the first fence and humiliate myself. Make something interesting with LETTUCE! The last word spat like the tongue of a chameleon catching a fly.

The days ticked by, and yet the challenge remained like a burning candle in my head. I knew I had to rise to it. It had to be something beyond salad. I couldn’t just wrap something tasty in lettuce leaf and get away with it. I knew this. She simply wouldn’t let me take the low road. Nor with me sweeping it under the carpet and forgetting about it.

The inspiration came during an expedition into the ‘other fridge.’ There are two fridges - three actually. The first is for everyday, close at hands things. The second is for long-lasting staples. The third is like a time capsule and I prefer not to go into it too often.

Anyhow - in a recent rash act of positivity I bought lots of salad stuff - onions, cucumbers, lettuce, some more lettuce and even more lettuce. But then the Summer warmth faded dramatically.

Little Gem is my least favourite lettuce, so invariably they get overlooked, grow limp and sad, and then become grizzled and possibly toxic.

What to do? The answer:

Lettuce Soup.

I know on first hearing it sounds vile. Everyone who ventured towards the pan backed off when I said what it was, but actually it turned out as a phenomenal-winter-warmer-comforting-hug-in-mug soup.

Fry an onion and some finely chopped chorizo sausage in a big pan with a little oil and butter.

Dice some potatoes into centimetre sized chunks. Roughly slice the lettuce. Add them both to the pan and mix thoroughly with the onion/chorizo mix. Scatter with coarse black pepper.

Cover with a chicken stock and allow to simmer, covered until the potatoes are soft.

At this stage I added some salt to taste, and a handful of frozen garden peas.

Give it another 5 minutes to cook the peas, and then take off the heat.

When it’s a little cooler, use a hand blender to mush it all up. Add a cup of single cream, and heat through again for another five minutes.

Use a little more cream to make an inartistic shape on top.

Eat with a slab of wholemeal bread and butter.

Anne-Marie - I challenge you to Star Anise.

RJ