A Grillmaster's Romaine
by Ross Bowen, Tastemaker in Residence
The grillmaster’s goal should be to have every item on the menu cooked over flame. We need to move beyond the obvious – steaks, burgers, pork chops – and include side dishes. Grilled romaine is one of my favorites. I’m surprised how many people who I cook for have never done this. Nothing could be easier.
Start with one head of Romaine for each guest. I trim the dark piece on the base of the romaine for aesthetic reasons – it won’t be eaten anyway. Rinse the romaine and remove any browned or otherwise unattractive leaves. With a sharp chef’s knife, cut the romaine down the middle.
For seasoning, I use kosher salt and pepper, and a flavored olive oil. I love the new flavored olive oil stores that have been popping up recently. I usually go to Gourmet Oil and Vinegar, in the Excelsior and Grand shopping center on Excelsior Boulevard in St Louis Park. Depending on your meal, you can customize the flavoring to fit the theme. For instance. When I am cooking fish, I like to use the fruit infused flavors, like Whole Fruit Lemon. Typically though you can’t go wrong with a Tuscan Herb Blend, which is what I used for this recipe. Use a brush and liberally apply the oil across each half.
Using tongs, carefully place the lettuce face down on the medium hot grill and close the lid. After five minutes beautiful grill marks should be burned in. Flip the lettuce with the tongs and wait another three minutes or until done. Serve with other grilled foods!