Best Braised Romaine Lettuce With Mustard And Bacon Recipes

BRAISED HEARTS OF ROMAINE

Steps:

• Trim root end of each heart (keeping heart intact), then halve heart lengthwise.
• Heat butter in a deep 13- to 14-inch skillet (or a 12-inch straight-sided skillet) over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add romaine, cut sides down (halves will fit very snugly in pan), and cook, turning once, until golden but not cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and briskly simmer, partially covered, until ribs are tender, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer romaine with tongs to a platter (remove any peppercorns that stick to romaine) and boil liquid, uncovered, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes.
• Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve over romaine.

BRAISED ROMAINE HEARTS

Steps:

• Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium to large skillet over medium heat. When butter has melted and foam subsided, add romaine hearts, cut side down, and cook, turning once or twice, until they begin to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes.
• Add stock, carrot and some salt and pepper. Cover and cook over lowest possible heat, turning occasionally, until lettuce and carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and turn heat up a bit to reduce any remaining liquid; add remaining tablespoon of butter and gently turn vegetables to coat. Drizzle with lemon juice.

BRAISED LETTUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch lettuce for 3 minutes and refresh. Drain gently, squeeze dry. Slice each head in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold in half crosswise and shape with your hands to make fat triangles.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and set rack in lower third of oven.
• In a casserole, cook the scallion and carrot in the butter until tender but not browned. Arrange the lettuce in the casserole, and spoon the vegetables over the lettuce.
• Pour in enough liquid barely to cover the lettuce. Add the thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Place the buttered paper over the lettuce to cover the casserole.
• Place casserole in center of preheated oven. Regulate heat so lettuce simmers slowly for 1 hour. Remove the lettuce to a serving dish and keep it warm. Quickly boil down the braising liquid until it has reduced to a syrup (about 1/2 cup).
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

GRILLED ROMAINE

Steps:

• Build a fire in your grill, leaving one side free of coals. When coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds), you are ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes, then turn burners to medium.)
• Meanwhile, make the dressing: Put the minced garlic into a bowl, and add the minced anchovies. Using a whisk, mix and mash these ingredients together until they form a paste. Add the mayonnaise and the mustard and whisk. Add the olive oil, whisking all the while, and then the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Make the salad: Drizzle the olive oil over the quartered heads of lettuce. Lightly grill these directly over the hot coals for 15 to 20 seconds on each side, until they are lightly golden, then remove to the cool side of the grill. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, paint the dressing over the lettuce, making sure to get dressing between the leaves. Sprinkle the lettuce with Parmesan and cover the grill for 1 or 2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and the lettuce to soften further. Remove lettuce to a platter and serve.

BACON-BRAISED MUSTARD GREENS

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is browned. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mustard greens and stir to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and let cook until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and serve immediately.

HEARTS OF ROMAINE WITH BLUE CHEESE AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack and bake in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. (To make bacon curls: Wrap each slice of raw bacon around a metal skewer in a barber-pole fashion and lay the skewers on the roasting rack.) Pat dry with a paper towel. When cool enough to handle, break into pieces or in half, if using curls.
• Put the egg in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the egg and roll it between your palm and the counter to crack the shell, then peel under cool running water. Rub the egg through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.
• Remove the large outer leaves from the romaine hearts and rinse. Chop these leaves into bite-size pieces and spin dry. (Use an extremely sharp knife to minimize bruising the edges.) Halve the hearts through the cores to make 4 wedges. Rinse under cold running water and shake to air dry.
• Divide the wedges among 4 plates. Mound some of the chopped romaine on top and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon about 1/4 cup of Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad and top with some of the sieved egg and bacon. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
• Pulse the mayonnaise, blue cheese, buttermilk, shallot, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and celery seeds in a food processor to make a chunky but pourable sauce. Stir in the parsley and season with plenty of pepper. Use immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.