This dish offers a quick and flavorful way to enjoy cooked lettuce in a savory garlic sauce. It maintains the lettuce’s crispness while infusing it with aromatic garlic flavors.
It’s a nutrient-rich and satisfying option that can be prepared in less than 10 minutes, making it perfect for a quick and delicious meal.
A must-have dish for Chinese New Year
Lettuce is regarded as a symbol of wealth and prosperity in Chinese culture. Its Cantonese pronunciation, “sang choi,” sounds similar to the phrase “growing wealth.”
As a result, lettuce is often included in festive meals and celebrations, particularly during the Lunar New Year, to invite good luck and abundance.
What you will need for making Cooked Lettuce
Cooked lettuce is interesting because it transforms the familiar crunchy vegetable into a tender and flavorful dish.
While I am using Chinese lettuce in this recipe, you can easily substitute it with Romaine lettuce. The key is to choose a lettuce variety that has sturdy leaves and can hold up well to cooking.
Ingredients:
400g lettuce
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
20g fresh chili pepper, julienned
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Two steps To Make Cooked Lettuce With Garlic Sauce
Cook the lettuce
Prepare the lettuce by trimming the root end and separating the leaves.
Sprinkle a little salt over them. Soak the lettuce in water for 5 minutes to remove any dirt or impurities.
Set it aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt and cooking oil. Blanch the lettuce in the boiling water for about 30 seconds until it becomes vibrant and slightly wilted. Then, remove it and drain any excess water. Neatly arrange the blanched lettuce on a serving plate.
Prepare the sauce
Prepare the sauce by combining the minced garlic and julienned chili pepper in an empty bowl.
Heat the cooking oil in a small saucepan until hot, then pour it over the garlic and chili mixture to release their flavors and aromas. Add the light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, and sugar to the garlic and chili mixture.
Stir well to create a tangy and savory sauce. Pour the sauce over the blanched lettuce, ensuring it is evenly coated.
Serve the dish immediately while the lettuce remains crisp and refreshing.
Tips to help keep lettuce crunchy when blanching:
- Use Fresh Lettuce: Start with fresh lettuce that is crisp and firm. Avoid using lettuce that is wilted or has soft spots.
- Trim and Separate Leaves: Trim off the root end of the lettuce and separate the leaves. This will help ensure even blanching and prevent the leaves from becoming overly soft.
- Blanch in Boiling Water:Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Ensure that there is enough water to fully submerge the vegetables. Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water to enhance the flavor of the lettuce. Don’t forget to add a small amount of oil to the boiling water. This is a key step to help retain the vibrant green color of the lettuce. Drop the lettuce leaves into the boiling water and blanch them for a brief period, usually around 30 seconds to 1 minute. Be careful not to overcook the lettuce, as it can become mushy.
- Serve Immediately: To enjoy the lettuce at its crunchiest, serve it immediately after blanching. The longer the lettuce sits, the more it can lose its crispness.
What if I don’t have Lettuce?
When blanching vegetables, you can choose a variety of options to achieve a tender yet crisp texture. Vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, asparagus, snow peas, cauliflower, water spinach, Choy Sum, and A Choy are all excellent choices.
Remember to adjust the blanching time for each vegetable based on its size and desired level of doneness.
Cooked Lettuce with Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 400 g lettuce
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 20 g fresh chili pepper julienned
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
Cook the lettuce
- Prepare the lettuce by trimming the root end and separating the leaves.
- Sprinkle a little salt over them.
- Soak the lettuce in water for 5 minutes to remove any dirt or impurities. Set it aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Add a teaspoon of salt and cooking oil. Blanch the lettuce in the boiling water for about 30 seconds until it becomes vibrant and slightly wilted.
- Then, remove it and drain any excess water. Neatly arrange the blanched lettuce on a serving plate.
Prepare the sauce
- Prepare the sauce by combining the minced garlic and julienned chili pepper in an empty bowl.
- Heat the cooking oil in a small saucepan until hot, then pour it over the garlic and chili mixture to release their flavors and aromas.
- Add the light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, and sugar to the garlic and chili mixture.
- Stir well to create a tangy and savory sauce.
- Pour the sauce over the blanched lettuce, ensuring it is evenly coated.
