Shredded Celtuce 凉拌莴笋丝
Celtuce, otherwise known as Stem Lettuce or Asparagus Lettuce, is not a common vegetable in the West. But dive into any Asian supermarket and you’ll find the long stalks stacked up. For years, I’d completely ignored it on the shelves of Beijing markets, until recently when I was served up this liang cai (cold dish) and loved its simple, refreshing flavour.
Celtuce is much-loved in China, for it’s health benefits - the bitterness is said to help with digestion - and flavour. Chinese cuisine - as with most vegetables - have found countless ways to use this lettuce - sir-fried, pickled, served with scrambled eggs, added to soups and raw in a number of dishes. The leaves are edible too, a nice side dish if stir-fried with a bit of garlic, but be warned, the flavour it pretty intense.
Everyone I’ve spoken to has a slightly different recipe for shredded celtuce. I’ve kept mine super simple, but you could add a bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce or chilli oil.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
Half a Celtuce (500g) - peeled (about 350g)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon white rice vinegar
2 cloves of garlic - finely diced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds - toasted
Method
With a veg peeler or knife, peel the thick skin of the celtuce until you get to the translucent flesh inside, then shred the flesh by hand or with a julienne peeler. Put all the strands into a colander and add the salt, giving it a good mix. Let the celtuce sit for twenty minutes to draw out the water.
Make the dressing - in a small bowl, add the vinegar, sugar, garlic and oil and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Back to the celtuce. Pour off any water that’s still remaining and squeeze the veg and add to your serving bowl. Pour over the dressing and mix together with a pair of chopsticks. Serve in a shallow bowl. I’ve found all the liquid will leach out over time and turn the celtuce dry, so it’s best eaten quickly.
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan, then sprinkle over the dressed celtuce.
