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BBQ & Grill

Grilled lettuce with goats cheese

A great side dish for al fresco lunches. Lettuce usually takes a back seat but, when cooked well, its flavour is worth celebrating on its own.

Ingredients:

  • 6 little gem lettuces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 250g/9oz goats' cheese, or taleggio
  • ¼ lemon

Directions:

  • Cut the lettuces in half leaving the base of the stem intact to hold the leaves together. Brush the lettuces with the olive oil, well-seasoned with salt and pepper.
  • Then place cut side down on a preheated barbecue rack or one of those cast iron griddle pans with raised ridges. Cook for 3-5 minutes. They are ready when the outer leaves are well-charred, striped from the grill and the thick stems are just becoming tender.
  • Arrange the 12 lettuce halves in a dish and lay over thin slices of the cheese. Add a few more twists of pepper and a drizzle of leftover olive oil. Throw in a hot oven or under a grill until the cheese starts to bubble.
  • Serve at once. Two lettuce halves, smothered in bubbling cheese, per person.