Fried Lettuce Greens Recipes

STIR-FRIED LETTUCE, A HEALTHY COOKED LETTUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Take the lettuce and firmly hit it on the counter to remove the core. (One of the first of many tricks I learned when working in the restaurant industry!)
• Remove the first outer layer of the lettuce and any discolored leaves and discard. Tear the lettuce with your hands into large 4 to 5-inch pieces.
• Place the lettuce in a large bowl of very cold water and give it a good stir. This washes your lettuce and rehydrates it. Next, drain the lettuce in a colander and give it a good shake to remove the excess water from the surface of the lettuce. Iceberg lettuce already contains a lot of water, so removing the excess water is important, or you'll end up with too much liquid. Feel free to use a salad spinner, which is a good idea if your stove and wok does not generate enough high heat.
• Combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar, white pepper into a small bowl and set aside.
• Heat your wok over low heat, and add 2 tablespoons of oil and the fresh ginger slice. Make sure to smash the ginger with the side of a knife to release the juices and flavors before you add it. Infuse the oil for 15 seconds, being careful not to burn the ginger.
• Turn the heat up to the highest setting, and stir in the chopped garlic. Then mmediately add the iceberg lettuce. Stir-fry everything together, using a scooping motion to coat the lettuce uniformly with the oil. After about 20 seconds, gather the lettuce in the middle of the wok in a pile, so you can see the liquid pooling around it in the wok.
• Let cook uncovered for another 15 seconds, and while this is happening, pour the soy sauce mixture over the lettuce. At this point, the sides of the wok will start to super-heat. This may be tough to achieve on your average stove burner, but do your best!
• Now in a single motion, stir the lettuce in a circular motion while spreading the lettuce out across the wok. The idea is to get the lettuce and the liquid searing along the sides of the wok to get that wok hei flavor. After the searing has stopped, repeat the process of gathering the lettuce in the middle of the wok again and letting the sides of the wok heat up again.
• After this second round of searing, your iceberg lettuce should be tender, with the green parts wilted. Stir fried lettuce should be slightly crunchy, so be sure not to overcook it. This whole process from start to finish takes less than 2 minutes in the wok.

STIR-FRIED LETTUCE

Steps:

• Wash and dry lettuce. Tear or cut into pieces a bit bigger than bite sized. Separate leaves and dicard core.
• In a small bowl mix soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Set aside.
• Place 14 inch wok or 12 inch frying pan on medium-high heat. When hot, add the salad oil and garlic. Stir fry until the garlic begins to take a little color.
• Add lettuce and stir fry until slightly limp but still somewhat crisp.
• Stir in the soy sauce mixture and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve at once.

STIR-FRIED GARLIC LETTUCE

Steps:

• Combine the rice wine or sherry, soy sauce, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the vegetable oil, add the garlic, and stir-fry for 5 seconds. Add the lettuce and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it is just limp. Stir the sauce, swirl it into the wok, and stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute more, or until the lettuce is just tender and still bright green. Remove from the heat, drizzle on the sesame oil, and serve.

KILLED LETTUCE AND ONION

Steps:

• Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Place the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the chopped green onions to the bacon grease; cook and stir for about a minute or until the onions reach your desired tenderness. Pour the onions and bacon grease over the lettuce and toss lightly. Crumble the bacon and add it to the lettuce. Serve immediately.

CRAB CAKE AND FRIED GREEN TOMATO SLIDERS

Steps:

• For the crab cakes: Gently fold together the crabmeat, panko, mayonnaise, chives, Dijon, seafood seasoning, lemon zest and juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Refrigerate the crab mixture for 30 minutes to firm up; this allows the panko to absorb some of the liquid, helping the crab cakes bind together.
• For the remoulade: Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, parsley, Dijon, capers, hot sauce, Worcestershire, paprika, cayenne, garlic, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and mix until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the crab cakes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter.
• Scoop 1/3-cup mounds of the crab mixture, pat into 1-inch-thick patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. You should have 9 patties. Bake until golden around the edges and heated through, about 205 minutes.
• For the fried green tomatoes: Meanwhile, heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Line a plate with paper towels or set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
• Whisk together the flour, cayenne, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs in another shallow dish. Put the panko in a third shallow dish. Dip each tomato slice in the flour, then egg, then panko.
• Fry the green tomatoes, flipping, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate or rack.
• For serving: Split the slider buns. Put a fried green tomato on each bottom bun. Spoon some remoulade over each, add a crab cake and top with pickled red onions and Bibb lettuce. Close the sliders with the top buns.

STIR-FRIED LETTUCE WITH CRISPY GARLIC AND FRIED EGGS

Steps:

• Using a sharp paring knife, run it around the core of the lettuce, then gently pull it out. Remove any discolored outer layers of the lettuce and discard. Tear the lettuce into large chunks. Wash the leaves and allow them to drain after gently shaking in a colander.
• In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetarian stir-fry or oyster sauce, sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt. Season with pepper.
• Heat a large (12-inch) deep skillet on medium-high. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to lightly coat the pan, then add the ginger and cook for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the lettuce and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until it starts to wilt. Pour the sauce over the lettuce and stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes. (Take care not to overcook, as you want your lettuce to retain some crunch.) Taste and season with salt, if needed. Place the lettuce (and all the pan juices) in a bowl and set aside. Once your skillet is cool enough to handle, rinse it out and dry.
• To the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the ¼ cup olive oil and sliced garlic. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until the garlic turns a pale golden brown. (Watch carefully! It burns quickly.) Remove the garlic from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain; it will continue to brown and crisp as it cools.
• To the remaining oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, add the eggs and cook untouched until whites are set, 2 to 3 minutes.
• To serve, place a mound of rice in a bowl, top with lettuce, some pan juices, a fried egg, crispy garlic and a scatter of sesame seeds and scallions. Finish with a tiny drizzle of Maggi seasoning sauce, if using.