Balsamic Braised Little Gem Lettuce With Walnuts And Bulgur Wheat

Little gem lettuce is normally just reserved for light salads, but it takes on a much fuller and deep flavour when fried or braised. This delightfully simple recipe provides provides an eye catching dish, packed full of flavour.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, European

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Braised lettuce recipe, cooked lettuce, lettuce recipe, lettuce recipes not salad, lettuce recipes not using salad

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Servings

Calories 546

Ingredients

6 Heads Little Gem Lettuce
50 ml Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
2 Banana Shallots
1 Medium Carrot
1 Stick Celery
20 g Thyme
20 g Parsley
250 ml Vegetable Stock
300 g Coarse Bulgur Wheat
40 g Walnuts
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Instructions

Prepare the bulgur wheat. Place in a deep pan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the bulgur is just cooked. Once cooked, drain and reserve.
Whilst the bulgur cooks. Finely dice the carrot, shallot and celery. Heat the olive oil in a deep pan over a high heat. Halve the lettuces, and add to the pan. Fry until the lettuce takes on a little colour, about 1 - 2 minutes each side. Lower the heat of the pan. Add the chopped carrots, shallots and celery, rosemary and brown sugar and cook and cook for a further 2 - 4 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Pour in the balsamic vinegar and simmer for about 5 minutes, turning the lettuce halves to coat evenly. Season with salt pepper, then add the stock and cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Then add the bulgur wheat to the pan, and cook for a further minute to heat through the bulgur.
Serve immediately with the a good helping of chopped parsley and walnuts sprinkled over the top.

Nutrition