L’ETOILE An AOC wine from the Jura. The parish of L’Etoile ande saint wineas < plus a littel vin jaune and vin de paille . the white wines tend to be naturally lively (petulant) LETTUCE A Plant that that grows wild all over the northern hemisphere and is cultivated in many van-eties for as its large edible leave .It has been cultivated in Egypt and Asia For thousand of year , and was popular with milky juice from lac, Meaning milk’) Lettuce was introduced into France in the Middle Ages, some think by Rabelais, who is said to have brought some seeds back from Italy, although others believe that the popes in exile at A vignon were responsible. Until the time of Louis XVI, lettuce was eaten as a hot dish. Raw lettuce with a vinaigrette proved a great success in London when it was introduced by the Chevalier d’ Albinac, a French nobleman who had emigrated to England. He made his fortune by visiting various private hotels and fashionable restaurants to dress the salads. Brillat-Savarin described him as a fashionable salad maker going from one dining room to another, complete with his mahogany tools and his ingredients which included flavoured oils, caviar, soy sauce, anchovies, truffles, meat juices and flavoured vinegars. Nowadays, many varieties of lettuce are available commercially. The most common are round 9butterhead) lettuce which has a rounded head with a yellow heart and smooth or curled floppy leaves, crisp of iceberg lettuces, which are crisp and round, with very large firm hearts, cos (romaine) lettuce which has long dark green leaves with thick veins and a relatively open crsip heart; and loose leared lettuces which have leaves sprawling out from the centre. Lettuce in the first three categories are various shades of green, while those in the last category can be green or red, or both. Great care must be taken to clean lettuces thoroughly in plenty of water so that all the soil is removed. It is important to dry the leaves gently. The way lettuce us prepared depends on the size of the leaves. Lettuce can be seasoned and served raw in green or mixed salads, and the leaves are often used as a garnish. In addition it can be braised stuffed, cooked with cream and used to prepare peas a la francaise. RECIPES Braised lettuce au gratin Braise the l;ettuce in meat stock or water and arrange in an ovenproof dish. Cover with Mornay sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese, top with melted butter and cook in preheated oven at 220ºC (425º,F gas 7) until brown. Lettuce a la creme Braise the lettuce in stock or water. Divide each lettuce in two, folding each in half, and place in a buttered pan. Moisten with cream and simmer until the cream has reduced by half. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fried croutons. Lettuce salad Prepare a lettuce chiffonnade, incorporating a julienne of unsmoked ham, breast of chicken and either Gruyere or Emmental cheese. Dress with a vinaigrette made with walnut oil and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Stuffed lettuce Trim the lettuce,blanch for 5 minutes, cool under running water and blot dry. Halve each lettuce without cutting through the base. Season them inside. Fill each lettuce with a generous tablespoon of fine force at mixed with mushroom duxelles. Tie each lettuce back and braise in meat stock or water. Stuffed lettuce can be serve on its own with fried croutons, or it may be sued as a garnish for roast or sauteed meat.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 07:33:56 +0000
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