---
title: "What’s cooking today: Braised lettuce and peas"
description: "Does lettuce even need to be raw? In France it is the hero, along with peas, of a true classic."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "LETTUCE COOK"
author: "Tony Jackman"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tony/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-11-12-whats-cooking-today-braised-lettuce-and-peas/"
published: "2021-11-12T12:30:55"
updated: "2021-11-11T13:26:42"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 443
---

# What’s cooking today: Braised lettuce and peas

> Does lettuce even need to be raw? In France it is the hero, along with peas, of a true classic.

By Tony Jackman · Published 12 November 2021, 14:30 SAST · Updated 11 November 2021, 15:26 SAST

## Content

Simple as it is, braised lettuce and young peas, or petit pois à la Française, is a class act and admired by chefs and gourmands everywhere.

**Braised lettuce and peas**

(Petit pois à la Française)

I used iceberg lettuce although many recipes call for baby gems. Ignore the outer leaves; it’s the inner, crisper hearts of an iceberg that you need.

*This recipe accompanies [this column](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-11-12-lettuce-in-from-the-cold/).*

**Ingredients**

1 heart of iceberg lettuce

1 medium onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 Tbsp butter

200 ml vegetable stock

Zest of 1 lemon

3 generous sprigs of mint

60 ml cream

500 g frozen peas

Salt and white pepper to taste

**Method**

By heart of iceberg lettuce I mean the core, central part, with the choke cut out and discarded. Then slice them into quarters or sixths. Keep 1 mint sprig aside for garnish.

Put the peas in a saucepan with 2 mint sprigs, cover with cold water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour into a colander and refresh under cold running water, and keep aside, discarding the sprigs.

Remove the large outer leaves of the lettuce and keep them in the crisper for a salad.

Sauté the sliced onion with the chopped garlic in butter until translucent.

Place the lettuce heart sections on top of the braised onions.

Cook on the first side for barely a minute, then turn and cook for half a minute.

Pour the stock over, season with salt and white pepper, cover, and cook gently for 10 minutes.

Remove the lettuce to a colander and leave to drain.

Cook the juices in the pan on a brisk heat until reduced by half. Add the cream and lemon zest and cook on a gentle heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in the peas.

You now have a creamy pea sauce and all that remains is to plate the lettuce and pour the peas and sauce over. If cooking a Norwegian salmon fillet, as I did, fry it in butter and a little olive oil before you complete the peas and sauce and serve the fish on top of the braised lettuce and peas. Garnish with mint.

For a variation, you could add cubes of cooked bacon or pancetta or chorizo. **DM/TGIFood**

*Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Champion of the Year 2021. His book, foodSTUFF, is now available in the DM Shop.*[*Buy it here*](https://shop.dailymaverick.co.za/product/foodstuff-reflections-and-recipes-from-a-celebrated-foodie/)*.*

*SUBSCRIBE: There’s much more from Tony Jackman and his food writing colleagues in his weekly TGIFood newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday.*[*Subscribe here*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/tgifood-newsletter-signup/)*. Also visit the*[*TGIFood platform*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/section/tgifood/)*, a repository of all of our food writing.*