Grilling this veg takes it from simple to sensational
Cooked over the intense heat of a fire, lettuce takes on a rich, savoury char balanced by an incredible natural sweetness, while retaining an amazing texture. Let your imagination run wild.
What I love about cooking with fire is freedom – you are only limited by the quality of your ingredients and your own imagination. Cooked over the intense heat of a fire, lettuce takes on a rich, savoury char balanced by an incredible natural sweetness, while retaining an amazing texture. Strangely enough it was the only thing that we did not grill when I worked in the Basque Country — almost like it was sacred.
Roasted fennel provides depth, while this tangy dressing with verjus, capers, grapes and tarragon offers a vibrant contrast to the smoky, charred exterior. Serve the grilled cos lettuce immediately as a perfect side dish, or as a stunning starter that showcases the beauty of simple, seasonal ingredients.
Charred cos with roasted fennel, grapes, capers & verjus
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small cos lettuce
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 8-10 caper leaves
- 1 bulb fennel
- 50g seedless grapes, sliced
- 30ml verjus
- 100ml olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- Sea salt
Method
- Preheat your grill to a high heat. Trim the fennel bulb and cut it into thin slices. Heat 10ml of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fennel slices to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.
- Trim the outer leaves of the cos lettuce and cut it in half lengthwise. Drizzle the cut side of the lettuce with olive oil and season with salt.
- Place the lettuce halves cut side down on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until charred. Remove the lettuce from the grill and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining olive oil with the verjus and tarragon. Add the capers and the sliced grapes and season to taste.
- To assemble the salad, place the grilled lettuce halves on a serving plate. Intersperse the fennel and caper leaves throughout the lettuce.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.
Serves 3-4