English Peas With Grilled Little Gems, Green Garlic and Mint
- 2 to 3 stalks green garlic (or use 2 cloves garlic)
- 2 heads Little Gem lettuce
- Olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shelled English peas
- Handful of spearmint or Persian mint leaves, torn or roughly chopped into large pieces
- Prepare a wood or charcoal grill for direct-heat grilling, or use a grill pan on top of the stove.
- Trim the tops of the green garlic where the leaves begin to branch out.
- Peel an outside layer of the stalks and slice thinly on the bias.
- Or very thinly slice the garlic cloves.
- Set aside.
- Cut the lettuce in quarters lengthwise and brush all over with olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Place the lettuce cut-side down on the grill and cook until it has darkish grill marks, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip lettuce quarters to the other cut side and grill for another couple of minutes, then grill on the leafy side briefly.
- Remove from grill when done.
- Heat 1 cup water, a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt in a large skillet over high heat.
- When the liquid is at a roaring boil, add the peas and garlic and cook, tasting often for seasoning and adding more water as needed, 3 to 8 minutes, or until the peas are just tender.
- Add the mint leaves and cook 1 minute.
- The goal is to have just enough water at the end of the cooking time to emulsify with the oil and thicken slightly.
- To serve, spread the lettuce on a platter and pour the peas and their minty, garlicky juices over it.
- Serve with grilled chicken, roast duck or by itself.
stalks green garlic, gem lettuce, olive oil, salt, peas, handful of spearmint
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017300 (may not work)