🔗 Share this article

Inspired by a well-known NYC restaurant, this groundbreaking technique turns usually thrown-out outer lettuce leaves into an luxurious herbaceous emulsion. It’s a ingenious approach to reduce kitchen waste while producing a condiment tasty and versatile.

Why Repurpose External Lettuce Greens?

These external greens serve as the plant’s protective packaging, guarding the delicate inner leaves. Although composting vegetable trimmings is a basic sustainable habit, discovering new uses for them is additionally beneficial. Converting excess ingredients into rich soil prevents landfill buildup, where they may emit greenhouse gases, which is a potent environmental concern.

This is rather radical if you think over it: produce rots and becomes that ideal soil to nourish more plants, thus closing this loop and honoring the cycle of life.

However, with more than 30% extra produce getting produced compared to needed, using precious ingredients efficiently is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves cash but also supports the more sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

This adaptable recipe works with whatever type of lettuce and seeds. By using one entire egg, you avoid the need to repurpose an leftover egg white. The result is a creamy, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with greens, grilled veggies, grilled poultry, noodles, or rice.

Serves two

For the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams external salad greens of 2 little gems, washed and dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted pistachios – white seeds such as cashews help maintain the bright green, but any seeds can work
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Side

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch soft herbs (like dill), sprigs left whole, stalks finely chopped

Instructions

First making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in one small pot, toss in the outer salad greens, place a lid and cook for about a minute, mixing once or twice, until they have wilted. Pour the contents into a jug of a immersion processor, include the pistachios and egg, then blend till creamy. If needed, add more nuts to get a thick texture. Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the dish, drizzle each lettuce portion with olive oil and acid, then season liberally. Dress with one tight drizzle of the herb emulsion, then scatter with the herbs. Arrange on 2 dishes and serve right away.