Happy lettuce day of the French Republican Calendar! Today, 16 Germinal, we are making lettuce risotto. That’s right, we’re cooking up some lettuce. The first time we made this, I was seriously skeptical. It’s from the very lovely Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall‘s River Cottage Year. In it, he says, “this risotto is the ultimate proof of the cookability of lettuces.”

Lettuce Risotto 

2 heads of different lettuce (Hugh says don’t use iceberg)

5 cups chicken stock

12 oz arborio rice

3 tbs olive oil

1-2 shallots, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 oz peas

6 spring onions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

butter

Parmesan

First, bring the stock to a boil and leave it at a simmer. Shred the lettuce and heat the olive oil in a larger pan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the rice and stir so that each grain is covered in oil. Add the green onion as well. Start ladeling in one ladel of hot stock. Stir until fully incorporated and continue ladel by ladel until all the stock has been used. Then, stir in the lettuce and peas. Mix until the lettuce has wilted. In about 4 minutes, the risotto will be ready. Add a tablespoon of butter and grate some Parmesan on top. Enjoy!