Sautéed Lettuce Combined with Bacon, Shallots, and Peas
Shake Things Up with Lettuce, Bacon, Shallots, and Peas! Tired of the same old side salad? This simple and delectable dish is just what you need!
- Serving Size: 4 entrées
- Cooking Skill: A Piece of Cake!
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients (10)
- 2 tablespoons of high-quality olive oil
- 3 slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (approximately 1/4 cup)
- 3 shallots, finely sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 heads of Romaine lettuce, washed and halved
- 1/4 cup of white wine
- 1 cup of reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups of fresh or frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Did You Know? You can spice up your braised lettuce by adding diced jalapeños, freshly grated parmesan cheese, or a touch of smoked paprika!
Instructions
- Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Wait until the oil starts to shimmer, then add the bacon. Cook until bacon becomes crispy, roughly 5 minutes. Remove the crispy bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate for draining. Set aside.
- Add shallots and garlic to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes until the shallots turn translucent (avoid browning). Add Romaine lettuce, cut-side down, and cook until it wilts, about 6 minutes. Move lettuce out of the pan.
- Pour the white wine into the skillet, scraping the browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to reduce by half, which should take about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Return the lettuce to the skillet and cook it, covered, until it becomes tender and can be easily pierced by a fork, about 8 minutes. Remove the lid, add the peas, increase the heat to high, and boil the cooking liquid until it thickens to a glaze. Add butter and swirl until melted. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Top with reserved bacon before serving.
Optional Enhancements
- Adding Garlic: Enhance your dish by sautéing a minced clove of garlic alongside the shallots.
- Herbs: Boost the freshness of the dish by adding finely chopped parsley, thyme, or other herbs.
- Lemon Zest: Enhance flavors by adding some freshly grated lemon zest.
- Protein Boost: Make this dish more substantial by adding cooked chicken, shrimp, or tofu.
- In the instructions for the delicious lettuce dish, garlic is added by sautéing a minced clove alongside the shallots.
- The dish can be categorized as 'uncategorized' nutrition-wise, as it includes a variety of ingredients like lettuce, bacon, shallots, and peas.
- To achieve a translucent appearance for the shallots in the dish, they are cooked for a couple of minutes in olive oil.
- Instead of shallots, one could add other alliums like chopped garlic or sliced onions, but the cooking time may need adjustment to achieve the same translucent effect.
