Simple Little Gem salad with garlic

I fancied something light, quick and easy for lunch so I went for a basic but delicious salad I learnt from my girlfriend Susana. I’m always amazed by how the simplest of recipes are often the best.

This one involves just lettuce and two of my favourite ingredients in the world, garlic and olive oil. I put both in pretty much everything I make and for me, they capture the essence of a Mediterranean diet.

There are lots of variations on this one. You could add a touch of Manchego cheese, or some salted or pickled anchovies. Or you could try it with a little bacon.

But time and again, I return to the basic model. I used el Ouzzania for this, which gave it a distinctively strong flavour. This one’s going to be a staple this summer.

Enjoy.

Simple Little Gem salad

Little Gem lettuce, three per head.

Extra virgin olive oil

Six clove of garlic

Salt

Pepper

Trim the base off each lettuce and peel the outer leaves. Cut in half lengthways and then again into quarters. Place each quarter face up on a plate.

Slice the garlic thinly and heat a generous slug of olive oil in a pan. Fry the garlic until it is starting to go golden, but make sure you don’t overdo it. You don’t want the bitter taste of burnt garlic.

Pour the hot oil and garlic over the lettuce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.