Butter Lettuce with Goat’s Cheese, Peas and Preserved Lemon – Matt Moran

Serves 4 as a starter or side

Preparation Time 15 minutes  |  Cooking Time 3 minutes

I reckon butter lettuce is underrated – I love to combine its tender leaves with crunchier cos, along with spring vegetables such as freshly podded peas and broad beans. Preserved lemons add a distinctive salty tang to the salad.

• 100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) podded peas (about 300 g/10½ oz unpodded)
• 100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) podded broad beans (about 350 g/12 oz unpodded)
• 3 preserved lemon quarters, rinsed
• 2 butter lettuces, outer leaves discarded
• 2 baby cos lettuces, outer leaves discarded
• 1 large handful mint leaves
• 100 g (3½ oz) goat’s cheese
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) lemon-pressed
• olive oil (see note)
• Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

Blanch the peas and beans together in a saucepan of boiling salted water for just 2–3 minutes until tender, then drain and refresh in iced water. Drain again, then peel the skins from the broad beans.

Use a small, sharp knife to cut the pulp from the preserved lemons and discard, then thinly slice the rind into strips.

Separate the lettuce leaves and tear some of the larger ones into pieces, then cut the hearts of the cos in half. Wash in a large bowl of water, drain well and arrange in a serving bowl. Scatter with peas, broad beans, preserved lemon and mint, then crumble the goat’s cheese over the top.

Whisk the lemon oil and lemon juice in a separate bowl to combine, season to taste, then drizzle over the salad to serve.

Note:    Lemon-pressed olive oil is made by cold-pressing halved lemons and olives together to create an olive oil infused with
lemon flavour. You can buy this oil at many delicatessens and some supermarkets.

Recipes and images from Australian Food Coast + Country by Matt Moran, published by Murdoch Books.