A Kind-of Hot Salad. With lemon and parmesan.

This wonderful delight was inspired by the rather unappetising sounding dish of 'braised lettuce'.

As I love all things lettuce the concept of a sort-of hot salad excited me but limp tasteless leaves didn't.  So to your standard 'braised lettuce' recipe I've added a few no-brainer additions like lemon, parmesan and mint, which I reckon takes the dish to a new and very appetising level.

Serve this one as a starter with wholewheat toast or as a side to spring lamb.

Ingredients

4 spring onions, or 1 shallot

4 baby gem lettuce

a large knob of butter

a large handful of fresh mint leaves, torn

100 g frozen peas

75 g parmesan

1 lemon

150 ml vegetable stock, hot

Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a deep frying pan, meanwhile finely chop the spring onions/shallot and add to the pan

2. Cook the spring onions/shallot for a couple of minutes over a moderate heat.

3. Separate the outer leaves from the lettuce and wash.  Then cut the leaves into thick strips, but keeping the hearts whole.

4. Add the lettuce, stock, frozen peas, the juice of half the lemon and most of the mint to the pan and cook until the lettuce is just wilted (we are talking 1 minute of two) then season well and pour into a hot serving dish.

5. Using a vegetable peeler shave the parmesan and add to the dish.

6. Finish with some lemon slices and the rest of the mint.

So much more exciting and delicious than a simple bowl of lettuce or peas.