Instructions: Lettuces come in three principal categories: first the buttery soft looseleafed lettuces that are usually good as a background to other more substantial ingredients: second the Cos lettuces long thinleaved quite crispy with a strong and definitive taste. Theyre delicious on their own and used a lot in America (where theyre known as Romaine) to make salads with strong tastes and textures like Caesar salad. Theyre also used in middle Eastern salads as spoons particularly the small inner leaves that have a curl to them.

Theres a miniature Cos lettuce widely available in Britain these days called Little Gem which has the same sort of flavour but only stands about 15 cm/6 in high. Last but not least there are the Iceberg or crisphead lettuces. These are usually the shape of a small football with very crisp leaves often pale green in colour tightly wrapped around each other. Theyre valued for their texture more than for their flavour. Ive had them sliced into wedges and served with a thick dressing poured over them without any further preparation and very good and filling they were too. They make good bowls for other foods if you peel the leaves off carefully and shredded they make a wonderful longlasting crisptextured base for other ingredients.

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