Braised Hearts Of Romaine Food

HEARTS OF ROMAINE WITH BLUE CHEESE AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack and bake in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. (To make bacon curls: Wrap each slice of raw bacon around a metal skewer in a barber-pole fashion and lay the skewers on the roasting rack.) Pat dry with a paper towel. When cool enough to handle, break into pieces or in half, if using curls.
• Put the egg in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the egg and roll it between your palm and the counter to crack the shell, then peel under cool running water. Rub the egg through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.
• Remove the large outer leaves from the romaine hearts and rinse. Chop these leaves into bite-size pieces and spin dry. (Use an extremely sharp knife to minimize bruising the edges.) Halve the hearts through the cores to make 4 wedges. Rinse under cold running water and shake to air dry.
• Divide the wedges among 4 plates. Mound some of the chopped romaine on top and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon about 1/4 cup of Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad and top with some of the sieved egg and bacon. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
• Pulse the mayonnaise, blue cheese, buttermilk, shallot, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and celery seeds in a food processor to make a chunky but pourable sauce. Stir in the parsley and season with plenty of pepper. Use immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.

BRAISED ROMAINE HEARTS

Steps:

• Braised Romaine Hearts
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 romaine hearts, damaged leaves removed, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium to large skillet over medium heat. When butter has melted and foam subsided, add romaine hearts, cut side down, and cook, turning once or twice, until they begin to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes.
• Add stock, carrot and some salt and pepper. Cover and cook over lowest possible heat, turning occasionally, until lettuce and carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and turn heat up a bit to reduce any remaining liquid; add remaining tablespoon of butter and gently turn vegetables to coat. Drizzle with lemon juice.

BRAISED ROMAINE LETTUCE WITH MUSTARD AND BACON

Steps:

• Brown the bacon in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Place the romaine halves in the same pan, cut-side down, and brown in the rendered bacon fat, turning as needed until wilted, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the lettuce to the plate with the bacon. Add the wine to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that cling to the pan. Add the broth, thyme, and mustard and bring to a simmer. Return the lettuce to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, and then adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Place a circle of parchment paper directly on the lettuce, or set a lid slightly ajar on the skillet. Cook the romaine until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the romaine to a serving dish and reduce the cooking liquid to a saucy glaze. Remove the thyme sprig and pour the cooking liquid over the lettuce, sprinkle with the bacon, and serve.

BRAISED ROMAINE HEARTS

Steps:

• Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium to large skillet over medium heat. When butter has melted and foam subsided, add romaine hearts, cut side down, and cook, turning once or twice, until they begin to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes.
• Add stock, carrot and some salt and pepper. Cover and cook over lowest possible heat, turning occasionally, until lettuce and carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and turn heat up a bit to reduce any remaining liquid; add remaining tablespoon of butter and gently turn vegetables to coat. Drizzle with lemon juice.

GRILLED HEARTS OF ROMAINE

Steps:

• Preheat the grill or a grill pan.
• Cut each heart of romaine in half lengthwise, leaving the end intact so each half holds together. Cut the tops of the lettuce, if necessary. Brush with olive oil and grill over medium heat until the lettuce chars and wilts slightly, about 6 minutes, turning a few times. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

BRAISED HEARTS OF ROMAINE

Steps:

• Trim root end of each heart (keeping heart intact), then halve heart lengthwise.
• Heat butter in a deep 13- to 14-inch skillet (or a 12-inch straight-sided skillet) over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add romaine, cut sides down (halves will fit very snugly in pan), and cook, turning once, until golden but not cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and briskly simmer, partially covered, until ribs are tender, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer romaine with tongs to a platter (remove any peppercorns that stick to romaine) and boil liquid, uncovered, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes.
• Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve over romaine.

HEARTS OF ROMAINE WITH CREAMY LIME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a blender or small food processor blend the garlic paste, the mustard, the lime juice, the mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste until the mixture is smooth and with the motor running add the oil in a stream. Blend the mixture until it emulsified, add enough of the water to thin the vinaigrette to the desired consistency, and blend the vinaigrette until it is combined well. In a large bowl toss the romaine with the vinaigrette.

GRILLED ROMAINE HEARTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk oil and vinegar. Generously brush over all surfaces of romaine. Grill romaine, uncovered, over medium-hot heat for 1-2 minutes or until slightly charred and wilted, turning once. Season with salt and pepper.

HEARTS OF ROMAINE WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND CABRALES DRESSING

Steps:

• Roast peppers:
• Lay chiles and bell peppers on their sides on racks of gas burners and turn flame on high. (Or broil on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat.) Roast, turning with tongs, until skins are blackened, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Transfer to a bowl, then cover and let steam 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and cut into thin strips.
• Make dressing:
• Whisk together dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
• Arrange salad:
• Dip each romaine leaf in dressing to coat, shaking off excess, and arrange on a platter. Toss pepper strips in remaining dressing and scatter over romaine.

GRILLED HEARTS OF ROMAINE

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Brush each romaine lettuce half with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.
• Cook romaine hearts, cut-side down, on the preheated grill until the cut-side is slightly caramelized but the inside is still cool and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer lettuce, cut-side up, to a platter. Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over lettuce and drizzle balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, and 2 tablespoons olive oil over the top.