Laitues Braisées au Jus

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5-quart (4.7 L) pot for blanching
• •12-inch (30 cm) lidded ovenproof sauté pan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •2-inch (5 cm) heart-shaped cutter
• •Kitchen twine
• •Warm oval serving platter or deep round timbale dish

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the braise

   Prepare the lettuces as one home-scale batch of Braised Vegetables (No. 275), using four small butterheads and tying them in two bundles of two after they have been blanched, cooled, pared, and pressed. Keep the bacon-and-root foundation and gentle covered braise exactly as that preparation directs; those elements build the flavor and must stay. During pressing, lay the lettuces between clean towels and bear down evenly with your palms, never twisting. If a wrapper leaf tears, overlap it around the core and secure it with twine; the bundle will hold.

   For the optional stuffed variation, use the filling and packet method from Cabbages for Garnish.—C (No. 2106) before proceeding with the braise. Leave it out for the plain au jus preparation given here.
2. 2

   Drain and shape

   When a small knife enters each lettuce core with only slight resistance, lift the bundles from their liquor and drain them for 5 minutes. Strain 1¼ cups of the braising liquor through a fine sieve, spoon off the surface fat, and hold ¼ cup aside. Remove every piece of twine, cut each lettuce lengthwise through its core, and gently open the rounded end of each half into a broad fan. Keep the core intact so the leaves remain gathered at the base.

3. 3

   Reduce the jus

   Pour 1 cup of the strained braising liquor into a wide sauté pan and boil briskly until reduced by half, about 6 to 10 minutes. Stir in the thickened veal gravy and simmer until the jus naps the back of a spoon, meaning it leaves a glossy, even coat rather than running off like broth. Taste before adding salt, since both bacon and reduction concentrate seasoning. If the jus tightens or grows too salty, Ça se rattrape: stir in the reserved liquor one spoonful at a time. If it remains thin, continue reducing instead of reaching for flour.

4. 4

   Fry the croûtons

   Cut the bread into eight hearts about 2 inches wide. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and wait until its foam begins to subside, then fry the croûtons in a single layer until crisp and deep gold on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Lower the heat if the butter darkens before the bread colors. Drain briefly on a rack or clean towel and season with the smallest pinch of salt.

5. 5

   Warm for service

   Warm an oval platter or deep round serving dish. If the lettuce halves have cooled, arrange them in a clean wide pan with 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquor, cover, and warm over gentle heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain them again before plating. Water left beneath the leaves will dilute the finished jus, so give them a moment and let gravity do its work.

6. 6

   Build the crown

   Arrange the eight lettuce halves around the warm oval platter with their cores pointing inward and their opened leaves fanning toward the rim. Alternate each half with a heart-shaped croûton, its point facing outward. Spoon the veal-enriched jus generously over the lettuce while leaving the upper faces of the croûtons mostly dry and crisp. For the quieter timbale service permitted by the original, nestle the halves in a warm deep dish, tuck the croûtons around them, and coat in the same way. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose small, tight butterhead lettuces with sound cores. Loose outer leaves dissolve during blanching, while compact heads survive pressing and open neatly after the braise.
• •The veal gravy is a supporting bass note, not bottled brown gravy. Use a gelatin-rich homemade preparation or a good refrigerated veal demi-glace diluted with unsalted stock; anything sweet or heavily seasoned will overwhelm the lettuce.
• •Tie the lettuces snugly enough to hold their leaves, but not so tightly that the twine cuts them as they soften. Two bundles of two are easier to turn and drain than one unwieldy parcel.
• •The crown earns its place at a dinner party, but the timbale is no lesser dish. Cooking well is not cooking fancy. Serve either beside roast veal, lamb, or poultry, with a light red Burgundy or cru Beaujolais.

Advance Preparation

• •The lettuces may be braised up to 1 day ahead. Cool them promptly in their strained cooking liquor, leave the protective surface fat in place, cover, and refrigerate; reheat gently in the liquor, then drain and degrease before reducing the jus.
• •The croûtons may be fried up to 4 hours ahead and kept uncovered at room temperature. If they soften, return them to a moderate oven for a few minutes before plating.
• •The finished jus may be reduced several hours ahead, chilled, and reheated gently. Hold back a little braising liquor because the sauce will tighten as it stands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 255g)