Wilted lettuce?

[yoyo1198]

How do I revive lettuce that has gotten all limp and sad looking while in the fridge? I tried the ice water bath but maybe I did that wrong? Input welcomed....thanks

[Mama Mangia]

It may be unsalvagable. Wash it up and fry it in italian dressing or your favorite viniagrette - it'll be good! I love fried lettuce.

[yoyo1198]

Wow!!! What a nice quick reply......I guess I'll hafta do that. I have some raspberry viniagrette. When I was a lot younger, we used to wilt the lettuce on purpose with hot bacon grease. I haven't done that for a long time so I think I'll go with the fried. Thanks, Mama

[chubbyalaskagriz]

If mama's plan don't work- there's always BLT Soup- YUM!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/p...ipe/index.html

BLT Soup Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes

[The Ironic Chef]

I like to use wilted lettuce in either a fried rice dish or a Lomain dish. Wilted or not, it provides a degree of freshness to the dishes.

[yoyo1198]

Amazing, that BLT soup. Had never heard of it or that it could be used in anything. I went ahead and made a chef's salad out of some of it It is green leaf so still have a bit. Never again will I toss shaggy lettuce to the birds.

[yoyo1198]

I checked eHow and this is what they said:

Step 1. Take your lettuce and break it apart. Wash it and shake the excess water off the leaves.

Step 2. Now you need to wrap paper towels around the bundle of clean lettuce leaves and enclose them in a plastic bag. I used a plastic grocery bag and tied the handles closed.

Step 3. Place the bag of lettuce in your vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. It may take some time to freshen up the lettuce. I let mine stay that way overnight and it was perfect for my salad the next day!

Step 4. This is a great way to keep lettuce fresh longer too by storing it this way right after purchasing.

[Mama Mangia]

I love to make too much salad - then I can wilt it or stickit in a panini - never wastes here!

[jglass]

Originally Posted by yoyo1198

Wow!!! What a nice quick reply......I guess I'll hafta do that. I have some raspberry viniagrette. When I was a lot younger, we used to wilt the lettuce on purpose with hot bacon grease. I haven't done that for a long time so I think I'll go with the fried. Thanks, Mama

My Mom and Grandparents used to pour hot bacon grease over leaf lettuce and green onions all the time when I was a kid. Throw in a piece of cornbread and it as good eating. Sometimes I still get a craving for it. When I do I skip the bacon grease and make a vinaigrette I heat up and use on the lettuce/green onions instead. I always used to add a little vinegar to my bacon grease when I had mine before and now Im an olive oil fan.
Until June last year I had a huge pet rabbit. Lettuce past its prime was never an issue when he was around lol.

[jfain]

Originally Posted by yoyo1198

I checked eHow and this is what they said:

Step 1. Take your lettuce and break it apart. Wash it and shake the excess water off the leaves.

Step 2. Now you need to wrap paper towels around the bundle of clean lettuce leaves and enclose them in a plastic bag. I used a plastic grocery bag and tied the handles closed.

Step 3. Place the bag of lettuce in your vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. It may take some time to freshen up the lettuce. I let mine stay that way overnight and it was perfect for my salad the next day!

Step 4. This is a great way to keep lettuce fresh longer too by storing it this way right after purchasing.

I always use this method and it really works. Another thing to try with wilted lettuce though is Peruvian Aji sauce. Try it with roasted meats. I went to a Peruvian restaurant in Chicago recently with some friends. We tried several items on the menu and this sauce was the best!

Aji Verde

For several dipping bowls of sauce, you'll need:
1 avocado
1 cup of lettuce
1 Tbls cilantro
As many chili peppers as you can stand. The recipe generally calls for about 3 jalapenos.
1 clove of garlic
Salt to taste, about 1/2 tsp to start
Olive oil, about 1/4 cup to start
Mayonnaise, about 3 tblsp to start (Substitute with oil and blend until it becomes creamy if you want to keep this more authentic.)
1/2 cup water

Optional: Freshly squeezed lemon juice or white wine vinegar if you want a bit of tang.

Halve and de-seed the chili peppers. Make sure you wear gloves or thoroughly wash your hands afterward. And don't rub your eyes!

Puree all the ingredients in a blender, food processor, or hand immersion blender. It's like making pesto, start with the basic portions and adjust according to your taste. What worked for me was roughly those amounts. Add mayonnaise for creaminess. You can add water too if the sauce appears too thick. I've seen some recipes that called for white cheese or nuts, but felt those were too strong in taste since the versions of aji sauce that I've liked were light in flavor, with just an undertone of spiciness.

Serve with bread for dipping.